Setsuninto Path Katsujinken Way
by Alltariss
Summary: Being immortal and living for more than a thousand years gave me ample time to perfect myself, but nothing could have prepared me for Naruto and the Shinobi Nations...        Slightly AU/AR  Mostly OC-Centric Mostly Naruto  with some crossover references.
1. Prologue

A/N::

**Alltariss** - Hello everyone! This is my first fanfic so please forgive me for any mistakes that you may find as I learn how everything works.

Disclaimer : I do not own Naruto or any of the characters within Naruto as they are all property of Masashi Kishimoto. Any Original Characters and/or original concepts/ideas belong to me.

Disclaimer 2 : I do not own Musashi or any of the characters within Musashi as they are all property of Eiji Yoshikawa. Any Original Characters and/or original concepts/ideas belong to me.

Disclaimer 3 : I do not own Vagabond or any of the characters within Vagabond as they are all property of Takehiko Inoue. Any Original Characters and/or original concepts/ideas belong to me.

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**SETSUNINTO-PATH~KATSUJINKEN-WAY**

**PROLOGUE**

**A FAR-FETCHED DREAM...**

* * *

_What's going on?_

My body felt more like heavy stone than flesh. Even as I slowly curled my fingers and flexed my hands, the muscles felt numb, prickly, and unresponsive. Had they ever been used before now? My senses were non-existent. Eyelids fluttered and opened, my vision was blurred and out of focus, the air held no scent that I could recognise and my ears heard nothing but infinite silence.

Slowly, I began to regain control of my body, accompanied with my sense of touch and attempted to sit up.

The ground beneath me was loose and shifting, I blinked my eyes a few times dispelling the haze. The ground was red, crimson and it was not soil but sand. I grabbed a pile of the sand and rubbed it, feeling its smooth yet grainy texture, watching it slip through my fingers like a waterfall.

_Where am I?_

I glanced around and saw the dunes of scarlet red that surrounded me. I strained to see beyond the horizon, but there was nothing but sand in every direction.

I looked at myself and clutched my shirt and pants. Their material suddenly felt foreign to me. The shirt was a pale brown as well as my pants. It was torn in places and smelt slightly like wood smoke.

A gust of wind blew through the area kicking up some sand. I snuck a glance at the sky and saw the glowing moon. It looked so massive; I raised my hand and tried to grasp it, as if it were within my reach.

I involuntarily shivered as the wind continued to blow. It was cold.

_Where do I go?_

I stood up slowly and wrap my arms around myself in a feeble attempt to stay warm. The wind howls in my ears, as if it were mocking me. I start to walk, my feet sinking into the sand. I follow the wind towards an unknown destination.

_Who am I?_

I couldn't remember anything. My mind is filled with hollow memories, vague images and indistinct voices. Shouting and screaming of pain, the metallic clash of blades. The memories reside in the farthest regions of my mind, so deep and submerged in the empty void that reaching out to them is nothing more than a far-fetched dream...

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A/N::

**Alltariss** – You might be a bit confused as to who this is but don't worry everything will be clear in the next few chapters.

I would love to get some feedback on my work. So constructive criticism is welcome. Read and Review...


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer : I do not own Naruto or any of the characters within Naruto as they are all property of Masashi Kishimoto. Any Original Characters and/or original concepts/ideas belong to me.

Disclaimer 2 : I do not own Musashi or any of the characters within Musashi as they are all property of Eiji Yoshikawa. Any Original Characters and/or original concepts/ideas belong to me.

Disclaimer 3 : I do not own Vagabond or any of the characters within Vagabond as they are all property of Takehiko Inoue. Any Original Characters and/or original concepts/ideas belong to me.

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**SETSUNINTO-PATH~KATSUJINKEN-WAY**

**Chapter 1**

**The Immortal Devil Swordsman**

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_More or less two and a half centuries before the birth of the Rikudo Sennin is where my tale begins..._

I took a sudden breath as I woke up, gasping like a fish out of water.

A cloudless blue sky greeted me, the air was fresh with a tang of pine and the grass beneath me was soft and lush.

_'Again. This...strange sensation...but why?'_

I felt so..._weird_. I was tired and yet I felt more rested than I have ever been these past few days.

These dreams have been occurring more and more often lately, but are they really dreams? Dreams don't usually feel so real, so..._vivid_. Yet they were, I could sense everything. The different scents that I breathed in, the clear sounds that rung in my ears, the taste, and the crisp and vibrant images. Even touch and pain, all of my senses were being assaulted.

They were like fever dreams, every time you would wake up and feel drained, but these visions were too real.

'_It's getting harder to distinguish between what is reality and what is dream'_

I thought about it for a few seconds. 'What is real?', 'How does one define reality?' The more I thought about it, the more questions I had and the less answers I got.

I sat up and observed my surroundings. The shrubs had dew that glistened in the sunlight that streamed though the blanket of leaves above. It was early morning, approaching midday. Standing up and brushing the dirt off my back, I started walking in no particular direction.

The snap of a twig grasped my attention. I quickly hid behind a tree; there were two men that were a few feet away from me.

"Did you hear? The Boss is going to attack the village."

"Yea, he can't raid travellers very often because of those monks in the temple nearby."

"What's so special about those monks? I don't know why he's so scared. It's not like they have special powers right?"

"Yea, we got swords, bows and arrows and the Boss was a shinobi (Ninja) once."

"Tomorrow all the monks will be dead and the entire village will be ours. We'll live like kings!"

They both walked away laughing mirthfully. It was obvious that they were bandits.

Suddenly a surge of adrenaline and the familiar feeling of power pumps through me.

~_Hunt them...Kill them...Devour them_~

My body began its horrifying transformation, my skin changed from its usual light complexion to ebony black, and I could feel my canine teeth lengthening into fangs. An irresistible, primal urge took hold of me and before I could bring myself to my senses it was already too late.

I struck the man closest to me, my punch made his head snap sideways with a sharp crack. He was dead before he hit the ground. The other bandit stood still, unable to comprehend what had occurred. I grabbed his shoulders and _sunk_ my fangs into his neck. He thrashed around a bit, but I had a firm grip. I didn't know if he was screaming or not, I couldn't hear anything. I drank his blood in large gulps; I didn't bother to savour the taste.

I released him and watched as he fell to ground with a dull thud, but before he fell, he whispered one last word.

"_Demon._"

The bloodlust faded and I returned to my normal appearance.

I stared at his corpse without remorse as I licked his blood off my lips. I felt..._numb_. I haven't truly felt joy, sorrow, anger, hate or any other emotion for..._centuries_. These _attacks_ of bloodlust have happening more and more often, but...why don't I care?

_'I never cared about killing someone before, why should I? He was a bandit; he knew the consequences of becoming a criminal. Besides, it's not like anyone's going to miss him.'_

This wasn't the first time I'd come in contact with bandits. I'd lost count of how many I'd killed during my lifetime in the New World alone. The Old World was much more peaceful, even though there was a war at the time. Back then brigands had a sense of honour, they would never even consider attacking a monk, but things have changed. I searched their bodies for any weapons but found none.

_'Damn!'_

I immediately head towards the village, Yamamori. It was named after the mountains and the forest that surrounded it. I once strolled through the village some years ago. It was a truly wonderful place, the people were kind and the village was doing very well after they set up a trade route to a nearby port that brought all sorts of goods from other regions. They thought I was some sort of noble by the way I was dressed and looking down at what I was wearing, I couldn't blame them.

I wore an ashen gray kimono and a dark burgundy hakama, but it was my haori that convinced them that I was a noble. It was jet-black with a picture of a cherry blossom tree with its petals flowing in the wind made of gold thread. On the back was a large emblem, that had a white koi fish circling a black koi fish, with pieces of ivory and ebony stitched into them representing their scales. My haori was slightly bigger than most to accommodate both the cherry blossom design and the emblem, but it did not interfere with any of my movements allowing me to freely travel and fight without hindrance.

I had acquired these clothes from a merchant whose life I had saved years ago. His wife was apparently a talented seamstress and had some knowledge in seals. She placed some sort of seal on all of my clothes that appeared to repel anything that can make my clothes unclean. It turned out to be quite useful as I did not need to wash my clothes on a regular basis.

I found an old dirt road as I exited the forest. Following the road towards the village, I could not help but think about the current situation.

_'This is bad. There are a lot of people who live in the village; the bandits would need a force of over seventy men in order to barely accomplish their task of taking over the place. Last time I checked their camp there was only around thirty men, but that was years ago. They have had plenty of time to gather more men, by now they could have almost a hundred!'_

Soon the village came into view, the various buildings that people lived in, the variety of stalls selling merchandise and the buzz of daily people going about their lives had always fascinated me. I had little knowledge about the many changes that had occurred in society since the beginning of the New World.

I quickly adjusted the cloth around my eyes, making sure no-one could see them.

Everything was new to me; I walked around like a small child in awe.

I scolded myself.

_'This is no time to wander around. I have to get to the village centre.'_

I walked up to a stall next to me and asked the lady at the counter for directions. She gazed at me for a few seconds before she did something that puzzled me. She blushed and turned away with a shy smile. Back in the Old World almost everyone, men and women looked at me like a wild beast that needed to be put down. Yet she looked at me with a smile, treated me like I was a normal human being. It has been so long since someone looked at me in this way...so long since Musashi, Matahachi, Takuan, Otsū, Baiken...and Rindo.

_'This is no time to remember past friends...or lovers...'_

"Just follow this road and you should come to a large fountain. That's the village centre." she replied. "By the way would you like to buy some fresh fruit?"

There was a lot of different fruits, many I have never tatsed but unfortunately I didn't have the currency they use in this age. All I had was a small pouch filled with gold coins that I _borrowed_ from the son of a noble who was acting much too arrogant. I took out a few coins and placed them in her hands. She looked at the coins before gasping in surprise.

"S-sir this is gold! I can't take this, it's too much!"

"Keep it, I am most grateful for your assistance." I said with a small, curt bow.

She was shocked that I had given coins that were worth hundreds of Ryo each.

I followed the path towards the centre of the village and just like the fruit seller said there was a large fountain, although she failed to mention how grand it was. The fountain was large and circle shaped with a small platform in the centre. In the centre there were two detailed sculptures of monks in combat, wielding staffs. The staffs met each other in a cross like shape and spouted water.

I leapt into the air and landed perfectly on the spot where the two staffs met. I steeled myself for the coming panic that would eventually come.

"People of Yamamori! I have come to warn you! Tomorrow bandits will come and attack the village!"

For a moment, there was absolute silence. A villager ran near the fountain.

"How do we know this is true." he asked.

"I encountered two bandits in the forests nearby. They seemed extremely confident that they would kill the monks and take over the village."

Another villager came forward, a woman holding a young child in her arms.

"How many men do they have?" she questioned.

"When I last saw their camp, there was only thirty men, but that was years ago. By now they could have a hundred or more."

Now the panic started to kick in. Thirty men cannot possibly take over a village of this size, but a hundred can do so with little effort.

"Let me through! Let me through!"

An old man pushed through the crowd that had formed and pointed his walking stick at me.

"How can we believe you? How do we know you're not lying?"

"What reason would I have for lying? Answer me that, Elder."

"How do you know I'm the Village Elder? I haven't seen you around in these parts, and you haven't even introduced yourself."

I sighed; all of this was so vexing.

"The reason I know you is because I'm the Fumetsu Kenki (Immortal Devil Swordsman) that's been living in the forests nearby for the past ten years."

"Yeah right! My brother is seventeen and you don't look any older than he is."

A young boy stood near the Elder with his arms crossed and gave me defiant stare.

"The Immortal Swordsman can cut an entire tree down in a single stroke; you don't even have a sword on you and you're blind!"

I looked beyond the crowd and surveyed the surroundings. I leapt down and walked towards a small building with a sign saying 'Yama-Sekkou' (Mountain-Mason). Outside the shop was a big block of stone that was as tall as myself and three feet wide.

_'Remember...Focus_.'

I brought my hands in front of me and a ball of silver liquid appeared and began to conform into the shape of a classic katana, but it was not completely silver. The hilt was white with black Ito thread wrapped around it in the traditional diamond pattern. I grasped the hilt of the blade and brought the sword above my head. A collective wave of shock rippled through the crowd as they saw the technique.

I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, wiping away any distractions from my mind. My focus was solely on the mass of stone in front of me. I took another breath and brought the blade down.

There was absolute silence for a few moments as everyone watched the stone block and waited for something to occur.

"Ha! I knew it! You're a liar, cheat!" The boy seemed to enjoy ridiculing me.

I stepped up to the block and studied its surface. There was a fine cut that ran down the middle. I grabbed one side of the stone block and pulled it until gravity took its course, it crashed to the ground and surprisingly it did not crack. The cut was smooth; now no one could dispute who I was.

"It's true...you really are the Immortal Swordsman." I took some pleasure in watching the boy's jaw hang from his mouth in utter shock.

I dispelled the blade in my hand, watching it melt away. A tingling sensation washed over me, it felt familiar but I couldn't identify what it was, but it always happened whenever I used my powers.

"Elder, I suggest that you ask the monks for assistance and prepare the village for attack." I said.

The Elder immediately issued orders to various villagers who all ran in different directions, the rest all rushed home to prepare for the coming assault.

"Kenki-sama, will you assist in the defence of the village?" The Elder asked.

"Please Elder, I am not worthy of such respect. Let us speak as equals, Alto-san will suffice."

"Very well, my name is Higa Hiroto, and I am the village elder."

I gave a small bow of respect "I am honoured to meet you, Hiroto-san. I will gladly assist you against the bandits."

"Good, now follow me. We'll plan the defence of the village in the town hall."

I followed Hiroto down a long road watching the many villagers organise themselves, packing all of the merchant stalls and locking all of their doors and windows. The town hall was a large building with two grand doors that led to a spacious room that could easily fit a hundred people or more. It would normally be used for village meetings but now it was being converted into a place that slightly resembled a war room. In the centre of the room was a round table with a map of the village and the surrounding area.

I walked up to the table and studied the map for a few moments.

"The village has no walls that surround it; therefore the bandits could come from any direction, but it is most likely that they would come from the forests on the western side because their camp is in that direction." I stated

Hiroto stood next to me and tapped his cane on the wooden floor "Then we should keep most of our men on that side."

"No." I countered "The bandits will be expecting us to do that. Therefore we should split up the men into groups and have them stationed around the perimeter, but keep the majority of them in the village centre." I suggested

A man on the opposite side of the table pointed towards the map "Why the village centre?"

"Should the men patrolling the perimeter see any bandits then they can signal the men in the centre so they can rush to their aid. This way if the bandits come from any direction, we'll be prepared." I answered

"But" I continued "If the bandits attack from multiple directions then we'll have to be prepared for that. Which means that the men in the centre will have to be split into four groups, one for North, South, East and West."

A man to my left brought a chair for Hiroto "Are the bandits even that smart?"

"No, but their leader was a shinobi once. It is best if we prepare for the worst case scenario."

"Indeed, now let's get everything ready and put your plan into action." The Elder slammed his cane on the floor and everyone dispersed, each one getting ready for the coming conflict...

* * *

Her kimono was white. She was never the type to wear anything overly grandeur and yet it did not detract anything from her beauty.

_'Elegant simplicity...Yes, that's what she called it'_

Gazing with half-lidded eyes, partially hidden by the paper fan she held; the pool of water rippled and revealed images only she could see.

Moving closer, I peered deeply into the crystal clear waters.

"Things are proceeding exactly as I said." My voice echoed around the chamber.

Suddenly her fan snapped shut and turned to meet my eyes.

"This is a very dangerous game you're playing..._Lucifer._" She whispered.

"I assure you Milady, this is no game."

"Really now?" Her piercing gaze sought to unravel whatever secrets I held.

"Every step he has taken and every step he will take in the future has all been _perfectly_ orchestrated by me."

Her eyes flickered for a moment, possibly with sorrow or resentment.

"Why do you go so far?" she murmured.

"What choice do I have? Do you think I enjoy doing this to him? Making him suffer?" My tone was harsh and I began to pace back and forth.

"I am..._disgusted_ with myself. That I was forced to do this to my own flesh and blood! All because those fools believe that they're unstoppable."

"So...am I truly the only one who answered your call?" She questioned.

"Yes...everyone else believes that there is no threat. They have this _naive_ idea that they are unconquerable."

Her hands gripped the fan tightly.

"Are you prepared to go through with this? All the way?" I asked.

"Yes."

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A/N::

**Alltariss**: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter!

I'll try to post the next couple of chapters as soon as I can. Until then read and review...


	3. Chapter 2

Sorry for taking so long to update. Now that I'm in Uni, I'm working on so many different things at once that I haven't had much time to relax and write. To know how many chapters have been written and are currently being checked by my Beta, check my forum. The link is on my profile page.

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**CHAPTER 2**

**A Faded Memory…**

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It was well into the night and sleep did not come easy for me. The militia were hardly soldiers; they were armed with bamboo spears, knives and other makeshift weapons. A few actually had decent weapons such as swords and proper spears and lances. They're not warriors, only a bunch of peasants who were willing to fight, but their courage was inspiring. Not a single one of them had fear in their eyes, only determination. They reminded me of Musashi and how he looked before the battle of Sekigahara.

'_Sekigahara_...'

It was a battle of will, '_We shall not break before the enemy_'

A battle for survival and of determination, '_We shall not die on this field_'

And a test of our virtues...Okō...Akemi...

* * *

I lay among the corpses. There were thousands of them.

"The whole world's gone crazy," Takezō said dimly. "A man might as well be a dead leaf, floating in the autumn breeze."

I myself looked like one of the lifeless bodies surrounding me, Takezō's voice kept me awake as I drifted in and out of consciousness. I knew that he was wounded and also struggling to stay awake. I tried to raise my head, but could only lift it a few inches from the ground. I couldn't remember ever feeling so weak.

'_How long have I been here?'_

Flies came buzzing around my head. I wanted to brush them away, but couldn't even muster the energy to raise my arm. It was stiff, almost brittle, like the rest of my body.

'_I must've been out for quite a while.'_

I wiggled one finger at a time. Little did I know I was wounded, with two arrows lodged in my back that had pierced one of my lungs, and a large gash across my chest from perhaps a sword or a lance.

Low, dark clouds shifted ominously across the sky. The night before, sometime between midnight and dawn, a blinding rain had drenched the plain of Sekigahara. It was now past noon on the fifteenth of the ninth month of 1600. Though the typhoon had passed, now and then fresh torrents of rain would fall on the corpses and onto my up turned face. Each time it came, I'd open and close my mouth like a fish, trying the drink in the droplets.

'_It's like the water they wipe a dying man's lips with.'_ I reflected, savouring each bit of moisture.

My head was numb, my thoughts the fleeting shadows of delirium.

My side had lost. I knew that much. Kobayakawa Hideaki, supposedly an ally, had been secretly in league with the Eastern Army, and when he turned on Ishida Mitsunari's troops at twilight, the tide of battle turned too. He then attacked the armies of other commanders – Ukita, Shimazu and Konishi – and the collapse of the Western Army was complete. In only half a day's fighting, the question of who would henceforth rule the country was settled. It was Tokugawa Ieyasu, the powerful Edo Daimyō.

Images of Ogin, Otsū and the old villagers floated before my eyes.

'_I'm dying.'_ I thought without a tinge of sadness

'_Is this what it's really like?'_

I felt drawn to the peace of death, like a child mesmerized by a flame.

Suddenly one of the corpses raised its head.

"Takezō."

The images of my mind ceased. As if awakened from the dead, I turned my head toward the sound. The voice, I was sure, was that of my friend. With all my strength I raised myself slightly.

"Matahachi, is that you?" Takezō said, squeezing out a whisper barely audible above the pelting rain.

Then I collapsed, lay still and listened.

'_They're alive. They survived.'_

"Takezō! Are you really alive?"

"Yes alive!" he shouted in a sudden burst of bravado. "And you? You'd better not die either. Don't you dare!"

His eyes were wide open now, and a smile played faintly on his lips.

"Not me! No, sir."

Gasping for breath, crawling on his elbows and dragging his legs stiffly behind him, Matahachi inched his way toward his friend. He made a grab for Takezō's hand but only caught his small finger with his own. As childhood friends they'd often sealed promises with this gesture. He came closer and gripped the whole hand.

"I can't believe you're all right too! We must be the only survivors."

"Alto is still alive, but don't speak too soon. I haven't tried to get up yet."

"I'll help you. Let's get out of here!"

Suddenly Takezō pulled Matahachi to the ground and growled.

"Play dead! More trouble coming!"

The ground began to rumble like a cauldron. Peeking through our arms, we watched the approaching whirlwind close in on us. Then they were nearer, lines of jet-black horsemen hurtling directly toward us.

"The bastards! They're back!" exclaimed Matahachi, raising his knee as if preparing for a sprint. I seized his ankle, nearly breaking it, and yanked him to the ground.

In a moment the horses were flying past us – hundreds of muddy lethal hooves galloping in formation, riding roughshod over the fallen samurai. Battle cries on their lips, their armour and weapons clinking and clanking, the riders came on and on.

Matahachi lay on his stomach, eyes closed, hoping against hope we would not be trampled, but Takezō stared unblinkingly upward, as did I. The horses passed so close we could smell their sweat.

Then it was over.

Miraculously we were uninjured and undetected, and for several minutes we remained silent in disbelief.

"Saved again!" exclaimed Takezō, reaching his hand out to Matahachi.

Still hugging the ground, Matahachi slowly turned his head to show a broad, slightly trembling grin.

"Somebody's on our side, that's for sure," he said huskily.

"Alto, can you get up?" asked Takezō.

I shakily stood up on feeble legs, and attempted to stand straight. Immediately I cough out globs of blood that had been building up in my chest. My legs would have buckled if I didn't use the sword in my hand for support. Takezō and Matahachi helped each other, with great difficulty, to their feet.

Slowly we made our way across the battlefield to the safety of the wooded hills, but after a rest began foraging for food. For two days we subsisted on wild chestnuts and edible leaves in the sodden hollows of Mount Ibuki. This kept us from starving, but Takezō's stomach ached, Matahachi's bowels tormented him and I was growing more exhausted with every passing day. No food could fill us, no drink could quench our thirst, but slowly and unnoticed, our strength was returning bit by bit.

The storm on the fifteenth marked the end of the typhoons. Now, only two nights later, a cold white moon glared grimly down from a cloudless sky. We all knew how dangerous it was to be on the road in the glaring moonlight, our shadows looming like silhouette targets in the clear view of any patrols searching for stragglers. The decision to risk it had been Takezō's. With Matahachi in such misery, saying he'd rather be captured than continue trying to walk, there really didn't seem to be much choice. We had to move on, but it was also clear that we had to find a place to lay low and rest. We made our way slowly in what we thought was the direction of the small town of Tarui.

"Can you make it?" Takezō asked repeatedly. He held Matahachi's arm around his shoulder to help him along.

"Are you all right?" he asked, looking at me. It was my laboured breathing that had him worried. I had wrapped my chest with a cloth I had stripped off one of the corpses back on the battlefield, the wound still bled, and the dried blood made the cloth stick to the wound. The arrows were still lodged in my back, Takezō said it was best to not remove them until we found help, but my back would flare with searing pain now and then.

"Do you both want to rest?"

"I'm all right." Matahachi tried to sound brave, but his face was paler than the moon above us. Even with his lance for a walking stick, he could barely put one foot in front of the other.

He'd been apologizing abjectly over and over. "I'm sorry. I know it's me who's slowing us down. I'm really sorry."

The first few times Takezō brushed this off with "Forget it." I was worried though, Matahachi had no wounds but his condition was getting worse with every step.

Eventually, when we stopped to rest, Takezō turned to us and burst out, "Look, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I'm the one who got you into this in the first place, remember? Remember how I told you my plan, how I was finally going to do something that would have really impressed my father? I've never been able to stand the fact that to his dying day he was sure I'd never amount to anything. I was going to show him! Ha!"

Takezō's father, Munisai, had once served under Lord Shimmen of Iga. As soon as Takezō heard that Ishida Mitsunari was raising an army, he was convinced that the chance of a lifetime had finally arrived. His father had been a samurai. Wasn't it only natural that he would be made one too? He ached to enter the fray, to prove his mettle, to have word spread like wildfire through the village that he had decapitated an enemy general. He wanted desperately to prove he was somebody to be reckoned with, to be respected – not just the village troublemaker.

Takezō reminded us of all this, and Matahachi nodded. "I know. I know. But I felt the same way. It wasn't just you, right Alto?"

I nodded my head and gave a wide grin.

Takezō went on: "I wanted you to come with me because we've always done everything together. But didn't your mother carry on something awful! Yelling and telling everybody I was crazy and no good! And your fiancée Otsū, and my sister and everybody else crying and saying village boys should stay in the village. Oh, maybe they had their reasons. We are both only sons, and if we get ourselves killed there's no one else to carry on the family names. But who cares? Is that any way to live?"

We had slipped out of the village unnoticed and were convinced that no further barrier lay between us and the honours of battle. When we reached the Shimmen encampment, however we came face to face with the realities of war. We were told straightaway we would not be made samurai, not overnight nor even in a few weeks, no matter who our fathers had been.

To Ishida and the other generals, we were a bunch of country bumpkins, little more than children who happened to get their hands on a couple of lances. The best we could wangle was to be allowed to stay on as common foot soldiers. Our responsibilities, if they could be called that, consisted of carrying weapons, rice kettles and other utensils, cutting grass, working on the road gangs and occasionally going out as scouts.

'_Father...'_

I never knew who my parents were. I was found in the village, supposedly abandoned. None of the villagers wanted to take me into their care. An old mute who lived just a little way out of the village took me in and raised me. I didn't learn how to speak until I met Takezō in the mountains. Meeting him led towards some of the other villagers, Ogin was Takezō's sister and Otsū was the only person besides her who befriended the village troublemaker.

I had turned eight that day, my birthday.

It was the same day the old mute passed away...

I insisted that I would lay him to rest him alone. The local priest helped me perform the funeral rites and offered his condolences. It began to get cold and it looked like it would rain soon. I stood in front of his grave silent and impassive, Takezō stood with me. We both stood unwavering in the bitter, freezing rain until dawn.

"Samurai, ha!" said Takezō. "What a joke. General's head! I didn't even get near an enemy samurai, let alone a general. Well, at least it's all over. Now what are we going to do? I can't leave you here all alone. If I did, I could never face your mother or Otsū again."

"Takezō, I don't blame you for the mess we're in. It wasn't your fault we lost. If anybody's to blame, it's that two-faced Kobayakawa. I'd really like to get my hands on him. I'd kill the son of a bitch!"

A couple of hours later we were standing on the edge of a small plain, gazing out over a sea of reed-like miscanthus, battered and broken by the storm. No houses. No lights.

There were lots of corpses here too, lying just as they had fallen. The head of one rested in some tall grass. Another was on its back in a small stream. Still another was entangled grotesquely with a dead horse. The rain had washed the blood away, and in the moonlight the dead flesh looked like fish scales. All around us was the lonely autumn litany of bellrings and crickets.

A stream of tears cleared a white path down Matahachi's grimy face. He heaved the sigh of a very sick man.

"Takezō, if I die, will you take care of Otsū?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I feel like I'm dying."

Takezō snapped, "Well if that's the way you feel, you probably will."

He was exasperated, wishing his friend were stronger, so he could lean on him once in a while, not physically, but for encouragement.

"Come on, Matahachi! Don't be such a crybaby."

"My mother has people to look after her, but Otsū's all alone in the world. Always has been. I feel sorry for her, Takezō. Promise you'll take care of her if I'm not around."

"Get a hold of yourself! People don't die from diarrhea. Sooner or later we're going to find a house, and when we do I'll put you to bed and get some medicine for you. Now stop all this blubbering about dying!"

A little farther on, we came to a place where the piles of lifeless bodies made it look as if a whole division had been wiped out. By this time we were callous to the sight of gore. Our glazed eyes took in the scene with cold indifference and we stopped to rest again.

While we were catching our breath, we heard something move among the corpses. We shrank back in fright, instinctively crouching down with our eyes peeled and senses alerted.

The figure made quick darting movements, like a surprised rabbit. As our eyes focused, they saw that whoever it was, was squatting close to the ground. Thinking at first it was a stray samurai, we braced ourselves for a dangerous encounter, but to our amazement the fierce warrior turned out to be a young girl. She seemed to be thirteen or fourteen and wore a kimono with no round sleeves. The narrow obi around her waist, though patched in places, was of gold brocade; there among the corpses she presented a bizarre sight indeed. She looked over and stared at us suspiciously with shrewd catlike eyes.

'_Is she a pilferer?'_ I thought.

Takezō and Matahachi were both wondering the same thing: what on earth could bring a young girl to a ghost ridden, corpse-strewn field in the dead of night?

For a time we all simply stared back at her. Then Takezō said, "Who are you?"

She blinked a couple of times, got to her feet and sped away.

"Stop!" shouted Takezō. "I just wanted to ask you a question. Don't go!"

But gone she was, like a flash of lightning in the night. The sound of a small bell receded eerily into the darkness.

"Could it have been a ghost?" Takezō mused aloud as he stared vacantly into the thin mist.

Matahachi shivered and forced a laugh. "If there was ghosts around here, I think they'd be those of soldiers don't you."

"I wish I hadn't scared her away," said Takezō. "There's got to be a village around here somewhere. She could've given us directions."

We went on and climbed the nearer of the two hills ahead of us. In the hollow on the other side of was the marsh that stretched south from Mount Fuwa. And a light, only half a mile away

When they approached the farmhouse, they got the impression that it wasn't of the run-of-the-mill variety. For one thing, it was surrounded by a thick dirt wall. For another, its gate verged on being grandiose. Or at least the remains of the gate, for it was old and badly in need of repair.

Takezo went up to the door and rapped lightly. "Is anybody home?"

Getting no answer, he tried again. "Sorry to bother you at this hour, but my friends here are sick and wounded. We don't want to cause any trouble – they just need some rest."

They heard whispering inside and, presently, the sound of someone coming to the door.

"You're stragglers from Sekigahara, aren't you?" The voice belonged to a young girl.

"That's right," said Takezō. "We were under Lord Shimmen of Iga."

"Go away! If you're found around here, we'll be in trouble."

"Look, we're very sorry to bother you like this, but we've been walking a long time. My friend needs some rest, that's all, and-"

"Please go away!"

"All right, if you want us to, but couldn't you give my friend some medicine? His stomach's in such bad shape it's hard for us to keep moving."

"Well I don't know..."

After a moment or two, they heard a footsteps and a little tinkling sound receding into the house, growing fainter and fainter.

Just then they noticed the face. It was in a side window, a woman's face, and it had been watching them all along.

"Akemi," she called out, "Let them in. They're foot soldiers. The Tokugawa patrols aren't going to be wasting time on them. They're nobodies."

Akemi opened the door, and the woman, who introduced herself as Okō, came and listened to Takezō's story.

It was agreed that we could have the woodshed to sleep in. To quiet his bowels, Matahachi was given magnolia charcoal powder and thin rice gruel with scallions in it. I had removed the bullets in Takezō's thigh after we left the battlefield; he was given cheap spirits in order to cleanse the wound. Okō lead me into a room and commanded Akemi to mend my wounded body.

Takezō sat next to me and hissed as he poured the alcohol over his injured thigh which was wrapped in a clean cloth. Akemi returned with a set of medicinal powders, spirits, a small sewing set and a lot of bandages.

She had an apprehensive look upon her face, "This will hurt a lot." she said.

She gingerly removed my kimono and placed it next to Takezō. She adjusted the lamp in the room and nearly dropped it in shock. The cloth that I had wrapped my chest with was no longer the clean white it had been; instead it was dark red, almost black. The arrows in my back protruded out in a clean fashion which did not bleed but prevented me from making any exaggerated movements.

"Unbelievable! The wounds aren't infected, you're extremely lucky!" she exclaimed.

I untied the cloth, yet it stuck to my wound like glue.

"This is bad. The cloth has slightly merged with the wound. I can't remove it in one move or else the wound will become even worse. I'll have to do it slowly."

She looked at me, as if asking for permission to proceed. I nodded my head and braced myself for a lot of pain. She grasped the cloth cautiously and slowly pulled.

The pain wasn't as bad as I expected, but as she peeled the cloth away in a very slow and steady pace it gradually got worse, but still bearable. The pain was nothing compared to what the wound looked like. I watched with absolute calmness while Akemi was terrified, one could see my flesh and skin tearing apart as more and more of the cloth came off. All of this in total silence.

Once it came off Akemi collapsed and gasped for breath as if she had run a long distance.

"Are you ready, Alto?" Takezō asked.

The arrows still had to be removed. I make a sound in affirmation and this time, I knew it really will hurt.

In one quick sharp movement Takezō ripped the first arrow out, and before I could scream he tore the other one out. I give a short cry of pain before clenching my teeth, nearly biting my tongue off. I take deep breaths in and out as blood flowed out like tears across my back. He immediately pours an entire jar of alcohol down my body. I give a loud grunt and continue to take in deep breaths.

Akemi pushes me on my back and brings a needle and a roll of thread. With dexterity that surprised both Takezō and myself, she expertly began to stitch the wound. As if my skin were a dress she was mending, she weaved in and out, occasionally pouring spirits to clean the wound. When all my wounds were stitched, she had to wrap my body in bandages.

She was rather small and had to press up against my chest in order to get the wrappings around my back. The entire time, she was red faced and when the task was complete she lead us to the shed and bid us goodnight, still red and embarrassed.

Over the next few days, Matahachi slept without interruption, while Takezō, sat vigil by our sides.

One evening about a week later, Takezō and Matahachi sat chatting.

"They must have a trade of some kind," Takezō remarked.

"I couldn't care less what they do. I'm just glad they took us in."

But Takezō's curiosity was aroused. "The mother's not that old," he went on.

"It's strange, the two of them living alone here in the mountains."

"Umm. Don't you think the girl looks a little like Otsū?"

"There is something about her that puts me in mind of Otsū, but I don't think they look alike. They're both nice-looking, that's about it. What do you suppose she was doing the first time we saw her, creeping around all those corpses in the middle of the night? It didn't seem to bother her at all. Ha! I can still see it. Her face was as calm and serene as those dolls they make in Kyoto. What a picture!"

Matahachi motioned for him to be quiet.

"Shh! I hear her bell."

Akemi's light knock on the door sounded like the tapping of a woodpecker.

"Matahachi, Takezō, Alto," she called softly.

"Yes?"

"It's me."

Takezō got up and undid the lock. She came in carrying a traying of medicine and food and asked us how we were.

"Much better, thanks to you and your mother."

"Mother said that even if you feel better, you shouldn't talk too loud or go outside."

Takezō spoke for the three of us. "We're really sorry to put you to so much trouble."

"Oh, that's okay, you just have to be careful. Ishida Mitsunari and some of the other generals haven't been caught yet. They're keeping a close watch on this area and the roads are crawling with Tokugawa troops."

"They are?"

"So even though you're only foot soldiers, Mother said that if we're caught hiding you, we'll be arrested."

"We won't make a sound," Takezō promised. "I'll even cover Matahachi's face with a rag if he snores too loudly."

Akemi smiled, and turned to go and said, "Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning."

"Wait!" said Matahachi. "Why don't you hang around and talk awhile?"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Mother'd be angry."

"Why worry about her? How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Small for your age, aren't you?"

"Thanks for telling me."

"Where's your father?"

"I don't have one anymore."

"Sorry. Then how do you live"

"We make moxa."

"That medicine that you burn on your skin to get rid of pain?"

"Yes, the moxa from hereabouts is famous. In spring we cut mugwort on Mount Ibuki. In summer we dry it and in fall and winter make it into moxa. We sell it in Tarui. People come from all over just to buy it."

"I guess you don't need a man around to do that."

"Well, if that's all you wanted to know, I'd better be going."

"Hold on, just another second," said Takezō. "I have one more question."

"Well?"

"The other night, the night we came here, we saw a girl out on the battlefield and she looked just like you. That was you wasn't it?"

Akemi turned quickly and opened the door.

"What were you doing out there?"

She slammed the door behind, and as she ran to the house the little bell rang out in a strange, erratic rhythm...

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Another chapter done! Hopefully the next chapters will be able to be posted soon. Until then Read and Review…..


	4. Chapter 3

I think I promised to post two chapters in one go… So here it is…

As usual, for any word on upcoming work go to my forum to discuss my Fanfic.

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**Chapter 3**

**Virtuous Temptation…**

At five feet eight or nine, Takezō was tall for people of his time. His body was like a fine steed's: strong and supple, with long, sinewy limbs. His lips were full and crimson, and his thick black eyebrows fell short of being bushy by virtue of their fine shape. Extending well beyond the outer corner of his eyes, they served to accentuate his manliness. The villagers called him "the child of a fat year," an expression used only about children whose features were larger than average. Far from an insult, the nickname nonetheless set him apart from other youngsters, and for this reason caused him considerable embarrassment in his early years.

Although it was never used in reference to Matahachi, the same expression could have been applied to him as well. Somewhat shorter and stockier than Takezō, he was barrel-chested and round-faced, giving an impression of joviality if not downright buffoonery. His prominent, slightly protruding eyes were given to shifting when he talked, and most jokes made at his expense hinged on his resemblance to the frogs that croaked unceasingly through the summer nights.

I was as tall for my age, shorter than Takezō but still taller than most and had a strong build. I had long black hairs that cascaded down my back which was usually braided and wrapped in long strips of leather threads, which Ogin and Otsū took great pleasure in doing, and twin bangs hung before my sharply chiselled face, casting my eyes into shadows.

Takezō and Matahachi were at the height of their growing years, and thus quick to recover from most ailments. Only Takezō, Matahachi, Ogin and Otsū knew my secret. I did not age after my seventeenth year. On the night that I was found, many shooting stars were seen crossing the midnight sky. Otsū had nicknamed me, 'Hoshiko' (Star Child) and would affectionately call me so on many occasions. There were also other unnatural things that set me apart from others, my wounds healed at an astonishing rate. The wounds I had sustained at Sekigahara would take weeks to recover from but in a mere few days not even scars remained. I still had the bandages wrapped around my body to avoid uncomfortable questions that could possibly arise.

By the time Takezō's wounds had completely healed, Matahachi could no longer stand his incarceration. He took to pacing the woodshed and complaining endlessly about being cooped up. More than once he had made the mistake of saying that he felt like a cricket in a damp, dark hole, leaving himself wide open to Takezō's retort that frogs and crickets are supposed to like such living arrangements. At some point, Matahachi must have begun peeping into the house, because one day he leaned over to his cellmate as if to impart some earth-shattering news.

"Every evening," he whispered gravely, "the widow puts powder on her face and pretties herself up!"

I nearly laughed as Takezō's face became that of a girl-hating twelve-year-old detecting defection, a budding interest in "them," in his closest friend. Matahachi had turned traitor, and the look was one of unmistakable disgust.

Matahachi began going to the house and sitting by the hearth with Akemi and her youthful mother. After three or four days of chatting and joking with them, the convivial guest became one of the family. He stopped going back to the woodshed even at night, and the rare times he did, he had sake on his breath and tried to entice the both of us into the house by singing the praises of the good life just a few feet away.

"You're crazy!" Takezō would reply in exasperation. "You're going to get us killed, or at least picked up, we lost, we're stragglers – can't you get that through your head? We have to be careful and lie low until things cool down."

He soon grew tired of trying to reason with his pleasure-loving friend, however, and started instead to cut him short with curt replies:

"I don't like sake," or sometimes: "I like it out here. It's cozy."

But Takezō was going stir-crazy too. He was bored beyond endurance.

"Hey Alto, don't you feel trapped too?" he asked, lying on the floor outstretched.

I shook my head "I don't mind. It's quiet." I whispered.

"Ah, I see. You've always liked places that were 'Nice and Quiet' haven't you?"

I nod my head and rest my back against the side of the woodshed.

Takezō eventually showed signs of weakening. "Is it really safe?" he'd ask "This neighbourhood, I mean? No sign of patrols? You sure?"

After being entombed for twenty days in the woodshed, we finally emerged like half-starved prisoners of war. Takezō's skin had the translucent, waxen look of death, I didn't look any better than he did and it was all the more apparent as we stood beside our sun-and-sake-reddened friend. Takezō squinted up at the clear blue sky, and stretching his arms broadly, yawned extravagantly. When his cavernous mouth finally came closed, I noticed that his brows had been knit all the while. His face wore a troubled air.

"Matahachi," he said seriously, "we're imposing on these people. They're taking a big risk having us around. I think we should start for home."

"I guess you're right," said Matahachi. "But they're not letting anyone through the barriers unchecked. The roads to Ise and Kyoto are both impossible, according to the widow. She says we should stay put until the snow comes. The girl says so too. She's convinced we should stay hidden, and you know she's out and about every day."

"You call sitting by the fire drinking being hidden?"

"Sure. You know what I did? The other day some of Tokugawa's men – they're still looking for General Ukita – came snooping around. I got rid of the bastards just by going out and greeting them."

At this point, as Takezō's eyes widened in disbelief - myself included – Matahachi let out a rolling belly laugh. When it subsided, he went on.

"You're safer out in the open than you are crouching in the woodshed listening for footsteps and going crazy. That's what I've been trying to tell you."

Matahachi doubled up with laughter again, and Takezō shrugged.

"Maybe you're right. That could be the best way to handle things."

He still had his reservations, but after this conversation he moved into the house dragging me with him. Okō, who obviously liked having people, more specifically men, around, made us feel completely at home. Occasionally, however, she gave us a jolt by suggesting that one of us marry Akemi. This seemed to fluster Matahachi more than Takezō, who countered it with a humorous remark, while I simply ignored the suggestion.

It was the season for the succulent, fragrant matsutake, which grows at the bases of pine trees, and Takezō relaxed enough to go hunting the large mushrooms, on the wooded mountain just behind the house. I needed to stretch my legs and Matahachi's laziness annoyed me, so I joined Akemi, who handed me a basket, into the woods.

Akemi, basket in hand, would search from tree to tree. Each time she picked up their scent, her innocent voice reverberated through the woods.

"Takezō, Alto, over here! Lots of them!"

Hunting around nearby, he invariably replied, "There are plenty over here too."

My basket was already full, so I rested against one of the many trees, quietly observing the forest.

Through the pine branches, the autumn sun filtered down on us in thin, slanting shafts. The carpet of pine needles in the cool shelter of trees was a soft dusty rose. When Takezō and I tired, Akemi would challenge us, giggling. "Let's see who has the most!"

"We do," Takezō always replied smugly, at which point she'd begin inspecting our baskets.

This day was no different from the others.

"Ha, ha! I knew it!" she cried.

Gleefully triumphant, the way only girls that young can be, with no hint of self-consciousness or affected modesty, she bent over our baskets.

"You've got a bunch of toadstools in your batch!"

Then she discarded the poisonous fungi one by one, not actually counting out loud, but with movements so slow and deliberate neither of us could ignore them, even with our eyes closed. She flung each one as far as she could. Her task completed, she looked up, her young face beaming with self-satisfaction.

"Now look how many more I have than you!"

"It's getting late," Takezō muttered. "Let's go home."

"You're cross because you both lost, aren't you?"

She started racing down the mountainside like a pheasant, but suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, an expression of alarm clouding her face. Approaching diagonally across the grove, halfway down the slope, was a mountain of a man; his strides were long and languorous, and his glaring eyes were trained directly on the frail young girl before him.

He looked frighteningly primitive. Everything about him smacked of the struggle to survive, and he had a distinct air of bellicosity: ferocious bushy eyebrows and a thick, curling upper lip; a heavy sword, a cloak of mail, and an animal skin wrapped around him.

"Akemi!" he roared, as he came closer to her. He grinned broadly, showing a row of yellow, decaying teeth, but Akemi's face continued to register nothing but horror.

I hid behind a tree; hand on sword, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

Takezō motioned for me to relax, wanting to understand the situation. He did not hide, but instead stood out in the open.

"Is that wonderful mama of yours home?" he asked with laboured sarcasm.

"Yes," came a peep of a reply.

"Well, when you go home, I want you to tell her she's not putting anything over on me, trying to make money behind my back. You tell her I'll be around soon for my cut. Have you got that?"

Akemi said nothing.

"She probably thinks I don't know about it, but the guy she sold the goods to came straight to me. I bet you were going to Sekigahara too, weren't you, little one?"

"No, of course not!" she protested weakly.

"Well, never mind. Just tell her what I said. If she pulls any more fast ones, I'll kick her out of the neighbourhood."

He glared at the girl for a moment then lumbered off in the direction of the marsh.

Takezō turned his eyes from the departing stranger and looked at Akemi with concern. I moved to another tree, my gaze never left the fearsome man. I made sure he was gone before I moved next to Akemi.

"Who on earth was that?"

Akemi, her lips still trembling, answered wearily, "His name is Tsujikaze. He comes from the village of Fuwa."

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"He's a freebooter, isn't he?"

"Yes."

"What's he so worked up about?"

She stood there without answering.

"I won't tell anybody," I assured her. "Can't you tell me?"

Akemi, obviously miserable, seemed to be searching for words. Suddenly she leaned against my chest and pleaded.

"Promise you won't tell anyone?"

"Who am I going to tell? The Tokugawa samurai?" I whispered

"Remember the night you first saw me? At Sekigahara?"

"Of course I remember."

"Well, haven't you figured out yet what I was doing?"

"Yes, I knew what you were doing there since you took us in." I said with a straight face.

"Then...then you know I was stealing!"

She looked at me closely, gauging my reaction.

"After a battle, I go to the battlefield and take things off the dead soldiers: swords, scabbard ornaments, incense bags – anything we can sell."

She looked at me again for a sign of disapproval, but my face betrayed none.

"It scares me," she sighed, then turning pragmatic, "but we need the money for food and if I say I don't want to go, Mother gets furious."

The sun was still fairly high in the sky. At Akemi's suggestion, we sat on the grass. Through the pines, they could look down on the house in the marsh.

Takezō nodded to himself, as if figuring something out.

A bit later he said, "Then that story about cutting mugwort in the mountain. Making it into moxa. That was all a lie?"

"Oh, no. We do that too! But Mother has such expensive tastes. We'd never be able to make a living on moxa. When my father was alive, we lived in the biggest house in the village – in all seven villages of Ibuki, as a matter of fact. We had a lot of servants, and Mother always had beautiful things."

"Was your father a merchant?" Takezō asked.

"Oh, no. He was the leader of the local freebooters."

Akemi's eyes shone with pride. It was clear she no longer feared our reaction and was giving vent to her true feelings, her jaw set, her small hands tightening into fists as she spoke.

"This Tsujikaze Temma – the man we just met – killed him. At least, everyone says he did."

"You mean your father was murdered?" I asked softly.

Nodding silently, she began in spite of herself to weep, and I felt something deep inside myself start to thaw. I hadn't felt much sympathy for the girl at first. Though smaller than most other girls of sixteen, she talked like a grown woman much of the time, and once in a while made a quick movement that put one on guard. But when the tears began to drop from her long eyelashes, I suddenly melted with pity. I wanted to hug her in my arms, to protect her.

All the same, she was not a girl who'd had anything resembling a proper upbringing. That there was no nobler calling than that of her father seemed to be something she never questioned. Her mother had persuaded her that it was quite all right to strip corpses, not in order to eat, but in order to live nicely.

Many in-and-out thieves would have shrunk from the task.

During the long years of feudal strife, it had reached the point where all the shiftless good-for-nothings in the countryside drifted into making their living this way. People had more or less come to expect it of them. When war broke out, the local military rulers even made use of their services, rewarding them generously for setting fire to enemy supplies, spreading false rumours, stealing horses from enemy camps and the like. Most often their services were bought, but even when they were not, a war offered a host of opportunities; besides foraging among corpses for valuables, they could sometimes even wangle rewards for slaying samurai whose heads they'd merely stumbled upon and picked up. One large battle made it possible for these unscrupulous pilferers to live comfortably for six months or a year.

During the most turbulent times, even the ordinary farmer and woodcutter had learned to profit from human misery and bloodshed. The fighting on the outskirts of their village might keep the simple souls from working, but they had ingeniously adapted to the situation and discovered how to pick over the remains of human life like vultures.

Partly because of these intrusions, the professional looters maintained strict surveillance over their respective territories. It was an ironclad rule that poachers – namely, brigands who had trespassed on the more powerful brigands' turf – could not go unpunished. Those who dared infringe on the assumed rights of these thugs were liable to cruel retribution.

Akemi shivered and said, "What'll we do? Temma's henchmen are on their way here, I just know it."

"Don't worry," I reassured her. "If they do show up, I'll greet them personally."

When we came down the mountain, twilight had descended on the marsh, and all was still. A smoke trail from the bath fire at the house crept along the top row of tall rushes like an airborne undulating snake. Okō having finished applying her nightly makeup, was standing idly at the back door. When she saw her daughter waking side by side with us, she shouted.

"Akemi, what have you been doing out so late?"

There was sternness in her eye and voice. The girl, who had been walking along absentmindedly, was brought up short. She was more sensitive to her mother's moods than to anything else in the world. Her mother had both nurtured this sensitivity and learned to exploit it, to manipulate her daughter like a puppet with a mere look or gesture. Akemi quickly fled our side and, blushing noticeably, ran ahead and into the house.

The next day Akemi told her mother about Tsujikaze Temma. Okō flew into a rage.

"Why didn't you tell me immediately?" she screamed, rushing around like a madwoman, tearing at her hair, taking things out of drawers and closets and piling them all together in the middle of the room.

"Matahachi! Takezō! Alto! Give me a hand! We have to hide everything."

Matahachi shifted a board pointed to by Okō and hoisted himself up above the ceiling. There wasn't much space between the ceiling and the rafters. One could barely crawl about, but it served Okō's purpose, and most likely that of her departed husband. Takezō, standing on a stool between mother and daughter, began handing things up to Matahachi one by one. If Takezō hadn't heard Akemi's story the day before, he would've been amazed at the variety of articles he saw now.

I knew that the two of them had been at this for a long time, but even so, it was astonishing how much they had accumulated.

There was a dagger, a spear tassel, a sleeve from a suit of armour, a helmet without a crown, a miniature, portable shrine, a Buddhist rosary, a banner staff... There was even a lacquered saddle, beautifully carved and ornately decorated with gold, silver and mother-of-pearl inlay.

From the opening in the ceiling Matahachi peered out, a perplexed look on his face.

"Is that everything?"

"No, there's one thing more," said Okō, rushing off.

In a moment, she was back, bearing a four-foot sword of black oak. Takezō started passing it up to Matahachi's outstretched arms, but the weight, the curve, the perfect balance of the weapon impressed him so deeply that he could not let it go.

He turned to Okō, a sheepish look on his face.

"Do you think I could have this?" he asked, his eyes showing a new vulnerability.

He glanced at his feet, as if to say he knew he'd done nothing to deserve the sword.

"Do you really want it?" she said softly, a motherly tone in her voice.

"Yes...Yes...I really do!"

Although she didn't actually say he could have, she smiled, showing a dimple, and Takezo knew the sword was his. Matahachi jumped down from the ceiling, bursting with envy. He fingered the sword covetously, making Okō laugh.

"See how the little man pouts because he didn't get a present!"

She tried to placate him by giving him a handsome leather purse beaded with agate. Matahachi didn't look very happy with it. His eyes kept shifting to the black-oak sword. His feelings were hurt and the purse did little to assuage his wounded pride. Akemi gave me a small dagger that was remarkably well made, with gold thread around the grip in a spiral pattern and carved into the blade itself was jade. Clearly worth a lot of money and not something used for actual combat.

When her husband was still alive, Okō had apparently acquired the habit of taking a leisurely, steaming hot bath every evening, putting on her makeup, and then drinking a bit of sake. In short, she spent the same amount of time on her toilette as the highest-paid geisha. It was not the sort of luxury that the ordinary could afford, but insisted on it and had even taught Akemi to follow the same routine, although the girl found it boring and the reasons for it unfathomable. Not only did Okō like to live well; she was determined to remain young forever.

That evening, as they sat around the recessed floor hearth, Okō poured Matahachi's sake and tried to convince Takezō and myself to have some as well. When we refused, she put the cups our hands, seized us by the wrists and forced us to raise it to our lips.

"Men are supposed to be able to drink," she chided. "If you can't do it alone, I'll help."

From time to time, Matahachi stared uneasily at her. Okō, conscious of his gaze, became even more familiar with us. Placing her hand playfully on my knee, she began humming a popular love song.

By this time, Matahachi had had enough. Suddenly turning to Takezō, he blurted out.

"We ought to be moving on soon!"

This had the desired effect.

"But…but...where would you go?" Okō stammered.

"Back to Miyamoto. My mother's there, and so is my fiancée."

Momentarily taken by surprise, Okō swiftly regained her composure. Her eyes narrowed to slits, her smile froze, her voice turned to acid.

"Well, please accept my apologies for delaying you, for taking you in and giving you a home. If there's a girl waiting for you, you'd better hurry on back. Far be it from me to keep you!"

After receiving the black-oak sword, Takezō was never without it. He derived an indescribable pleasure from simply holding it. He'd often squeeze the handle tightly or run its blunt edge across his palm, just to feel the perfect proportion of the curve to the length. When he slept, he hugged it to his body. The cool touch of the wooden surface against his cheek reminded him of the floor of the dojo where he'd practice sword techniques in winter. This nearly perfect instrument of art and death reawakened in him the fighting spirit he had inherited from his father.

Takezō had loved his mother, but she had left his father and moved away when he was still small, leaving him alone with Munisai, a martinet who wouldn't have known how to spoil a child in the unlikely event that he had wanted to. In his father's presence, the he had always felt awkward and frightened, never really at ease. When he was nine years old, he'd so craved a kind word from his mother that he had run away from home and gone all the way to Harima Province, where she was living. I wouldn't let him go alone, so I left with him.

Takezō never learned why his mother and father had separated, and at that age, an explanation might not have helped much. She had married another samurai, by whom she had one more child.

Once we had reached Harima, he wasted no time in locating his mother. On that occasion, she took him to a wooded area behind the local shrine, so they wouldn't be seen, and there, with tear filled eyes, hugged him tightly and tried to explain why he had to go back to his father. Neither I nor Takezō ever forgot the scene; every detail of it remained vividly in our minds as long as we lived.

Of course Munisai, being the samurai he was, had sent people to retrieve his son the moment he learned of his disappearance. It was obvious where Takezō had gone. We were returned to Miyamoto like a bundle of firewood, strapped on the back of an unsaddled horse.

Munisai, by way of greeting, had called him an insolent brat, and in a state of rage verging on hysteria, caned him until he could cane no more. I shouted at Munisai that day, calling him an idiot among other things, which resulted in a thrashing just as severe. Takezō remembered more explicitly than anything else the venom with which his father had spat out his ultimatum.

"If you go to your mother one more time, I'll disown you."

Not long after this incident, Takezō learned that his mother had fallen ill and died. Her death had the effect of transforming him from the quiet, gloomy child into the village bully. Even Munisai was intimidated eventually. When he took a truncheon to the boy, the latter countered with a wooden staff. The only one who stood up to him was Matahachi, also the son of a samurai; the other children all did Takezō's bidding. By the time he was twelve or thirteen, he was almost as tall as an adult.

Takezō frequently talked about being the strongest there was, achieving the title of 'Invincible Under The Sun'. I didn't really have any dream or ambition, which infuriated Takezō. He was adamant that I should have something to aspire to, so he declared that if I didn't have a dream then I should join him in his quest for greatness. Soon I became just as strong as he was after countless days and nights sparring in the dojo, and just as feared, although the villagers knew I disliked bloodshed.

One year, a pair of swordsmen, Arima Kihei and Arima Keito, put up a gold-emblazoned banner and offered to take on challengers from the village.

Takezō killed Kihei effortlessly, impaling him with his own banner. Before Keito could attack Takezō to avenge his brother, I challenged him. I killed him with my bare fists, beaten to death.

The villagers elicited praise for our valour. Their high opinion of us, however, was short-lived, since as Takezō grew older, he became increasingly unmanageable and brutal. Many thought him sadistic, and soon, whenever he appeared on the scene, people gave him a very wide berth. His attitude toward them grew to reflect their coldness.

When his father, as harsh and unrelenting as ever, finally died, the cruel streak in Takezō widened even more. If it had not been for his older sister, Ogin, Takezō would probably have gotten himself into something far over his head and been driven out of the village by an angry mob. Fortunately, he loved his sister and, powerless before her tears, usually did whatever she asked.

Going off to war with Matahachi and I had been a turning point for Takezō. It indicated that somehow he wanted to take his place in society alongside other men. The defeat at Sekigahara had abruptly curtailed such hopes, and he found himself once again plunged into the dark reality from which he thought he had escaped. Still, he was a youth blessed with the sublime light-heartedness that flourishes only in an age of strife.

When he slept, his face became as placid as an infant's, completely untroubled by thoughts of the morrow. He had his share of dreams, asleep or awake, but he suffered few real disappointments. Having so little to begin with, he had little to lose, and although he was in a sense uprooted, he was also unfettered by shackles.

I decided to sleep inside the house today, with Takezō. Tsujikaze was still out there and our presence here would not be welcome. My instincts refused to let me sleep, keeping me awake throughout the night.

Breathing deeply and steadily, holding on to his wooden sword tightly, Takezō at this moment may have well been dreaming, a faint smile on his lips as visions of his sister and his peaceful hometown cascaded like a mountain waterfall before his closed, heavily lashed eyes. Okō, carrying a lamp, slipped into our room.

"What a peaceful face," she marvelled under her breath.

She reached out and lightly touched his lips with her fingers.

I did not she was up to, but I trusted Takezō to deal with it.

Then she blew out the lamp and lay down beside him. Curling up catlike, she inched closer and closer to his body, her whitened face and colourful nightgown, really too youthful for her, hidden by darkness. The only sound that could be heard was that of dewdrops dripping onto the windowsill.

"I wonder if he's still a virgin," she mused as she reached out to remove his wooden sword.

The instant she touched it, Takezō was on his feet and shouting, "Thief! Thief!"

Okō was thrown over onto the lamp, which cut into her shoulder and chest.

Takezō was wrenching her arm without mercy. She screamed out in pain.

Astonished, he released her.

"Oh, it's you. I thought it was a thief."

"Oooh," moaned Okō. "That hurt!"

"I'm sorry. I didn't know it was you."

"You don't know your own strength. You almost tore my arm off."

"I said I was sorry. What were you doing here, anyway?"

Ignoring his innocent query, she quickly recovered from her arm injury and tried to coil the same limb around his neck, cooing.

"You don't have to apologize. Takezō….."

She ran the back of her hand softly against his cheek.

"Hey! What are you doing? Are you crazy?" he shouted, shrinking away from her touch.

"Don't make so much noise, you idiot. You know how I feel about you."

She went on trying to fondle him, with him swatting at her like a man attacked by a swarm of bees.

"Yes, and I'm very grateful. All of us will never forget how kind you've been, taking us in and all."

"I don't mean that, Takezō. I'm talking about a woman's feelings – the lovely, warm feeling I have for you."

"Wait a minute," he said, jumping up. "I'll light a lamp."

"Oh, how can you be so cruel," she whimpered, moving to embrace him again.

"Don't do that!" he cried, indignantly. "Stop it – I mean it!"

Something in his voice, something intense and resolute, frightened Okō into halting her attack.

Takezō felt his bones wobbling, his teeth rattling. Never had he encountered such a formidable adversary. Not even when he'd looked up at the horses galloping past him at Sekigahara had his heart palpitated so. He sat cringing in the corner of the room.

"Go away please," he pleaded. "Go back to you own room. If you don't, I'll wake the whole house up!"

Okō did not budge. She sat there in the dark, breathing heavily and staring at him with narrowed eyes. She wasn't about to be rebuffed.

"Takezō," she cooed again. "Don't you understand how I feel?"

He made no reply.

"Don't you?"

"Yes, but do you understand how I feel, being snuck up on in my sleep, frightened to death and mauled by a tiger in the dark?"

It was her turn to be silent. A low whisper, almost a growl, emerged from a deep part of her throat. She said each syllable with a vengeance.

"How can you embarrass me so?"

"_I_ embarrass _you_?"

"Yes. This is mortifying."

They were both so tense that they hadn't noticed the knocking at the door, which had apparently been going on for some time. Now the pounding was punctuated with shouts.

"What's going in there? Are you deaf? Open the door!"

A light appeared in the crack between the sliding rain shutters. Akemi was already awake. Then Matahachi's footsteps thudded toward them and his voice called, "What's going on?"

From the hallway now, Akemi cried out in alarm, "Mother! Are you in there? Please answer me!"

Blindly Okō scrambled back into her own room, just adjoining ours and answered from there.

The men outside appeared to have pried open the shutters and stormed into the house. When she reached the hearth room she saw six or seven pairs of broad shoulders crowded into the adjacent, dirt-floored kitchen, which was a big step down, since it was set at a lower level than the other rooms.

One of the men shouted, "It's Tsujikaze Temma. Give us some light!"

Immediately I was on my feet, sword drawn and body set in a fighting stance. Takezō stood near me, drawing deep breaths and preparing for battle. Matahachi stood in a poor sword stance, but he was not shaking with fear like last time, on the fields of Sekigahara.

The men barged rudely into the main part of the house. They didn't even stop to remove their sandals, a sure sign of habitual uncouthness. They began poking around everywhere – in the closets, in the drawers, under the thick straw tatami covering the floor.

We were in the next room, out of sight, but close enough to strike in a single moment.

Temma seated himself royally by the hearth and watched as his henchmen systematically ransacked the rooms. He thoroughly enjoyed being in charge but soon seemed to tire of his own inactivity.

"This is taking too long," he growled, pounding his fist on the tatami.

"You must have some of it here. Where is it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," replied Okō, folding her hands over her stomach forbearingly.

"Don't give me that woman!" he bellowed. "Where is it? I know it's here!"

"I don't have a thing!"

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"Well, then, maybe you don't. Maybe I have the wrong information….."

He eyed her warily, tugging and scratching at his beard.

"That's enough, men!" he thundered.

Okō had meanwhile sat down in the next room, with the sliding door wide open. She had her back to him, but even so she looked defiant, as though telling him he could go ahead and search wherever he had mind to.

"Okō," he called gruffly.

"What do you want?" came the icy reply.

"How about a little something to drink?"

"Would you like some water?"

"Don't push me….." he warned menacingly.

"The sake's in there. Drink it if you want to."

"Aw, Okō," he said, softening, almost admiring her for her cold-hearted stubbornness.

"Don't be that way. I haven't been to visit for a long time. Is this any way to treat an old friend?"

"Some visit!"

"Now, take it easy. You're partly to blame, you know. I've been hearing about what the 'moxa man's widow' has been up to from too many different people to think it's all lies. I hear you've been sending your lovely daughter out to rob corpses. Now, why would she be doing a thing like that?"

"Show me your proof!" she shrieked. "Where's the proof!"

"If I'd been planning to dig it out, I wouldn't have given Akemi advance warning. You know the rules of the game. It's my territory, and I've got to go through the motions of searching your house. Otherwise, everybody'd get the idea they could get away with the same thing too. Then where'd I be? I've gotta protect myself, you know!"

She stared at him in steely silence, head half turned toward him, chin and nose proudly raised.

"Well, I'm going to let you off this time. But remember, I'm being especially nice to you."

"Nice to me? Who, you? That's a laugh!"

"Okō," he coaxed, "come here and pour me a drink."

When she showed no sign of moving, he exploded.

"You crazy bitch! Can't you see that if you were a little nice to me, you wouldn't have to live like this?"

He calmed down a bit, then advised her, "Think it over for a while."

"I'm overcome by your kindness, sir," came the venomous reply.

"You don't like me?"

"Just answer this: Who killed my husband? I suppose you expect me to believe that you don't know."

"If you want to take revenge on whoever it was, I'll be happy to help. Any way I can."

"Don't play dumb!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"You seem to hear so much from people. Haven't they told you that it was you yourself who killed him? Haven't you heard that Tsujikaze Temma was the murderer? Everyone else knows it. I may be the widow of a freebooter, but I haven't sunk so low that I'd play around with my husband's killer."

"You had to go and say it, didn't you – couldn't leave well enough alone, eh!"

With a rueful laugh, he drained the sake cup in one gulp and poured another.

"You know, you really shouldn't say such things like that. It's not good for your health – or your daughter's!"

"I'll bring Akemi up properly, and after she's married, I'll get back at you. Mark my word!"

Temma laughed until his shoulders, his whole body shook like a cake of bean curd. After he'd downed all the sake he could find, he motioned to one of his men, who was positioned in a corner of the kitchen, his lance propped vertically against his shoulder.

"You there," he boomed, "push aside some of the ceiling boards with the butt of your lance!"

The man did as he was told. As he went around the room, poking at the ceiling, Oko's treasure trove began falling to the floor like hailstones.

"Just as I suspected all along," said Temma, getting clumsily to his feet.

"You see it, men. Evidence! She's broken the rules, no question about it. Take her outside and give her, her punishment!"

The men converged on the hearth room, but abruptly came to a halt. Okō stood statuesquely in the doorway, as though daring them to lay a hand on her. Temma, who'd stepped down into the kitchen, called back impatiently.

"What are you doing? Bring her out here!"

Nothing happened. Okō continued to stare the men down, and they remained as if paralysed. Temma decided to take over. Clicking his tongue, he made for Okō, but he too, stopped short in front of the doorway. Standing behind Okō, not visible from the kitchen, were three fierce-looking young men.

Takezō was holding the wooden sword low, poised to fracture the shins of the first comer and anyone else stupid enough to follow. On the other side was Matahachi, holding a sword high in the air, ready to bring it down on the first neck that ventured through the doorway. I stood further back, completely hidden in darkness, sword in front and body coiled to strike like a viper.

Akemi was nowhere to be seen.

"So that's how it is," groaned Temma, suddenly remembering the scene on the mountainside.

"I saw that one walking the other day with Akemi – the one with the stick. Who's the other two?"

None of us said a word, making it clear that we intended to answer with our weapons. The tension mounted.

"There aren't supposed to be any men in this house!" roared Temma.

"You three…..You must be from Sekigahara! You better watch your step – I'm warning you."

None of us moved a muscle.

"There isn't anybody in these parts who doesn't know the name of Tsujikaze Temma! I'll show you what we do to stragglers!"

Silence. Temma waved his men out of the way. One of them backed straight into the hearth, in the middle of the floor. He let out a yelp and fell in, sending a shower of sparks from the burning kindling up to the ceiling; in seconds, the room filled completely with smoke.

"Aarrgghh!"

As Temma lunged into the room, Matahachi brought down his sword with both hands, but the older man was too fast for him and the blow glanced off the tip of Temma's scabbard. Okō had taken refuge in the nearest corner while Takezō waited, his black-oak sword horizontally poised.

He aimed at Temma's legs and swung with all his strength. The staff whizzed through the darkness, but there was no thud of impact. Somehow this bull of a man had jumped up just in time and on the way down threw himself at Takezō with the force of a boulder.

Takezō felt as though he were tangling with a bear. This was the strongest man he had ever fought. Temma grabbed him by the throat and landed two or three blows that made him think his skull would crack. Then Takezō got his second wind and sent Temma flying through the air. He landed against the wall, next to me, rocking the house and everything in it.

As I raised my sword to come down on Temma's head, the freebooter rolled over, jumped to his feet, and fled, with Takezō and I close on his tail.

Takezō was determined to not let Temma escape. That would be dangerous. His mind was made up; when he caught him, he was not going to do a half-way job of killing him. He would make absolutely certain that not a breath of life was left.

That was Takezō's nature; he was a creature of extremes, a nature he had beaten into me since our childhood together.

"Never leave anything unfinished," he said strictly. "If you're going to do something, do it right."

Even when he was a small child, there had been something primitive in his blood, something harking back to the fierce warriors of ancient Japan, something as wild as it was pure. It knew neither the light of civilisation nor the tempering of knowledge. Nor did it know moderation. It was a natural trait, and the one that had always prevented his father from liking him. Munisai had tried, in the fashion typical of the military class, to curb his son's ferocity by punishing him severely and often, but the effect of such discipline had been to make the boy wilder, like a wild boar whose true ferocity emerges when it is deprived of food. The more the villagers despised the young roughneck, the more he lorded over them.

As a child of nature became a man, he grew bored of swaggering about the village as though he owned it. It was too easy to intimidate the timid villagers. He began to dream of bigger things. Sekigahara had given him his first lesson in what the world was really like. His youthful illusions were shattered – not that he'd really had many to begin with. It would never have occurred to him to brood over having failed in his first "real" venture, or to muse on the grimness of the future. He didn't yet know the meaning of self-discipline, and he'd taken the whole bloody catastrophe in stride.

And now, fortuitously, we'd stumbled onto a really big fish – Tsujikaze Temma, the leader of the freebooters! This was the kind of adversary he had longed to lock horns with at Sekigahara.

"Coward!" he yelled. "Stand and fight!"

I was running like lightning through the pitch-black field. Ten paces ahead, Temma was fleeing as if on wings. My hair was literally on end, and the wind made a groaning noise as it swept past my ears. I was happy – happier than I'd ever been in my life. The more he ran, the closer I came to sheer animal ecstasy.

I leapt at Temma's back. Blood spurted out at the end of my scabbard, and a bloodcurdling scream pierced the silent night. The freebooter's hulking frame fell to the ground with a leaden thud and rolled over. I struck him with my scabbard, deep within myself; I wanted this encounter to last. The skull was smashed to bits, the eyes popped out of their sockets. Takezō stood next to Temma and after he struck two or more heavy blows to his body, broken ribs protruded from the skin.

Takezō raised his arm, wiping rivers of sweat from his brow.

"Satified, Captain?" he asked triumphantly.

We started nonchalantly back toward the house. An observer new on the scene might have thought us out for an evening stroll, with not a care in the world. I felt free, no remorse, knowing that if the other man had won, I would be lying there, dead and alone.

Out of the darkness came Matahachi's voice.

"Takezō, is that you?"

"Yeah," Takezō replied dully. "What's up?"

Matahachi ran up to him and announced breathlessly, "I killed one! How about you?"

"We killed one too."

Matahachi held up his sword, soaked in blood right down the braiding on the hilt.

Squaring his shoulders with pride, he said, "The others ran away. These thieving bastards aren't much as fighters! No guts! Can only stand up to corpses, ha! Real even match, I'd say, ha, ha, ha."

All of us were stained with gore and as contented as a litter of well-fed kittens. Chattering happily, we headed for the lamp visible in the distance, Takezō with his bloody stick, Matahachi with his bloody sword and me with my bloody sheath...

A stray horse stuck his head through the window and looked around the house. His snorting woke the two sleepers. Cursing the animal, Takezō gave him a smart slap on the nose. Matahachi stretched, yawned and remarked on how well he'd slept.

"The sun's pretty high already," said Takezō.

"You suppose it's afternoon?"

"Couldn't be!"

After a sound sleep, the events of the night before were all but forgotten. For us, only today and tomorrow existed.

Takezō ran out behind the house and stripped to the waist. Crouching down beside the clean, cool mountain stream, he splashed water on his face, doused his hair and washed his chest and back. Looking up, he inhaled deeply several times, as though trying to drink in the sunlight and all the air in the sky.

Matahachi went sleepily into the hearth room, where he bid a cheery "good morning" to Okō and Akemi.

"Why, what are you two charming ladies wearing sour pusses for?"

"Are we?"

"Yes, most definitely. You look like your both in mourning. What's there to be gloomy about? We killed your husband's murderer and gave his henchmen a beating they won't soon forget."

Matahachi's dismay was not hard to fathom. He thought the widow and her daughter would be overjoyed at the news of Temma's death. Indeed, the night before, Akemi had clapped her hands with glee when she first heard about it. But Okō had looked uneasy from the first, and today, slouching dejectedly by the fire, she looked even worse.

"What's the matter with you?" he asked, thinking she was the most difficult woman in the world to please.

"What gratitude!" he said to himself, taking the bitter tea that Akemi had poured for him and squatting down on his haunches.

Okō smiled wanly, envying the young, who know not the ways of the world.

"Matahachi," she said wearily, "you don't seem to understand. Temma had hundreds of followers."

"Of course he did. Crooks like him always do. We're not afraid of the kind of people who follow the likes of him. If we could kill him, why should we be afraid of his underlings? If they try to get at us, we'd- "

" –do nothing!" interrupted Okō.

Matahachi pulled back his shoulders and said, "Who says so? Bring on as many of them as you like! They're nothing but a bunch of worms. Or do you think we're cowards, that we're just going to slither away on our bellies in retreat? What do you take us for?"

"You're not cowards, but you are childish! Even to me. Temma has a younger brother named Tsujikaze Kohei, and if _he_ comes after you, the three of you rolled together wouldn't have a chance!"

This was not the kind of talk Matahachi especially liked to hear, but as she went on, he started thinking that maybe she had a point. Tsujikaze Kohei apparently had a large band of followers around Yasugawa in Kiso, and not only that: he was an expert in the martial arts and unusually adept at catching people off their guard. So far, no one Kohei had publicly announced he would kill had a normal life. To Matahachi's way of thinking, it was one thing if a person attacked you in the open. It was quite another thing if he snuck up on you when you were fast asleep.

"That's a weak point with me," he admitted. "I sleep like a log."

As he sat holding his jaw and thinking, Okō came to the conclusion that there was nothing to do but to abandon the house and their present way of life and go somewhere far away. She asked Matahachi what he, Takezō and I would do.

"I'll talk it over with them," replied Matahachi. "Wonder where Takezō has gone off to?"

He walked outside and looked around, but Takezō was nowhere in sight. After a time he shaded his eyes, looked off in the distance and spotted us riding around in the foothills, bareback on the stray horse that had woken them with his neighing.

"They don't have a care in the world," Matahachi said to himself, gruffly envious.

Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted, "Hey, you! Come home! We've got to talk!"

A little while later we lay on the grass together, chewing on stalks of grass, discussing what we should do next.

Matahachi said, "Then you think we should head home?"

"Yes, I do. We can't stay with these two women forever."

"No, I guess not."

"I don't like women." Takezō was sure of that.

I laughed lightly "All right. Let's go then."

Matahachi rolled over and looked up at the sky.

"Now that we've made up our minds, I want to get moving. I suddenly realized how much I miss Otsū, how much I want to see her. Look up there! There's a cloud that looks just like her profile. See! That part's just like her hair after she's washed it."

Matahachi was kicking his heels into the ground and pointing to the sky.

Takezō's eyes followed the retreating form of the horse he had just set free. Like many of the vagabonds who live in the fields, stray horses seemed to him to be good-natured things. When you're through with them, they ask for nothing; they just go off quietly somewhere by themselves.

From the house Akemi summoned us to dinner. We stood up.

"Race you!" cried Takezō.

"You're on!" countered Matahachi.

Akemi clapped her hands with delight as the three of us sped neck and neck through the tall grass, leaving a trail of dust in our wake.

After dinner, Akemi grew pensive. She had just learned that the three of us had decided to go back to our homes. It had been fun having us around the house, and she wanted it to go on forever.

"You silly thing!" chided her mother. "Why are you moping so?"

Okō applying her makeup, as meticulously as ever, and as she scolded the girl, she stared into her mirror at Takezō. He caught her gaze and suddenly recalled the pungent fragrance of her hair the night she invaded our room.

Matahachi, who had taken the big sake jar down from a shelf, plopped down next to Takezō and began filling a small warming bottle, just as though he were master of the house. Since this was to be our last night together, we planned to drink our fill.

Okō seemed to be taking special care with her face.

"Let's not leave a drop undrunk!" she said. "There's no point in leaving it here for the rats."

"Or the worms!" Matahachi chimed in.

I only had a single cup, nothing more. Takezō tried to avoid it, but Okō convinced him to have at least one. Matahachi and Okō emptied three jars in no time. Okō leaned against Matahachi and started fondling him in a way that made me turn my head in embarrassment.

"I…I…can't walk," mumbled Okō drunkenly.

Matahachi escorted her to her pallet, her head leaning heavily on his shoulder.

Once there, she turned to Takezō and said spitefully, "You Takezō, you sleep over there, by yourself. You like sleeping by yourself. Isn't that right?"

Without a murmur, he lay down where he was. He wasn't very drunk and it was very late.

By the time I woke up, it was broad daylight. The moment I opened my eyes, I sensed it. Something told me the house was empty. The things Okō and Akemi had piled together the day before the trip were gone. There were no clothes, no sandals – and no Matahachi.

I called out, but there was no reply, nor did I expect one. A vacant house has an aura all its own. There was no one in the yard, no one behind the house, no one in the woodshed. I found Takezō standing near the open mouth of a water pipe, in his hands was a bright red comb.

"Matahachi's a pig!" he shouted. Sniffing the comb, he again recalled how Okō had tried to seduce him that evening not long ago.

"This," he said, "is what defeated Matahachi."

The very idea made me boil with anger.

"Fool!" I cried out loud. "What about Otsū? What do you plan to do about her? Hasn't she been deserted too many times already, you pig?"

I wanted to cry in rage, not for myself, but out of pity for Otsū, whom I could picture clearly waiting back in the village.

Takezō sat disconsolately in the kitchen, the stray horse looked in the doorway impassively. Finding that Takezō would not pat his nose, he wandered over to the sink and began lazily to lick some grains of rice that had stuck there.

* * *

The dawns first rays hit my face, waking me from my melancholic slumber. The militia stood ready and waiting for orders.

I stood on my feet and stretched.

Conflict was coming, and unlike the loss at Sekigahara, our side would win the battle, no matter the cost.

'_Was that a dream?…..How could I know what Takezō or Matahachi were thinking or feeling?'_

* * *

Until the next update, Read and Review…..


	5. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

**Devil Guardian…**

* * *

"Alto-san, the men are waiting for your orders."

"Bring them to the village centre, I wish to speak with them."

"Of course."

I stood calmly, taking deep breaths. It has been so long since I have entered into battle.

My gaze shifts towards a patch of clouds in the morning sky.

'_How lucky they are! To be so carefree…'_

There has not been a year in my life where I have avoided a clash with death, no matter how hard I try; I still end a life in some meagre clash of blades. I ended their lives for one reason or another, whether it was to survive or to protect, both ended with death.

'_The endless path in the spiral of death'_

"Alto-san, the men are here."

"Thank you, Hiroto-san."

I leapt atop the pair of statues in the fountain, the militia stood armed and ready.

"Listen closely! This battle will not be easy, some of you will die. You're not soldiers, but ordinary men. You are not accustomed to battle or bloodshed, so there is no shame in feeling afraid. I too am afraid, every time I fight. No matter what happens today, cling on to your life, never let it go, and perhaps, you might just live to see tomorrow's dawn."

The men all raised their weapons and shouted in unison. The fires of their will burned brightly in their eyes.

"That was quite a speech." said Hiroto.

"They need to be ready for this. I just told them what they needed to hear."

"True."

Hiroto then shouted orders to each of the men, organising them into their designated positions.

"They're here! They're here! Bandits from the North!" shouted one of the scouts.

"What? But we're not ready!" Hiroto said panic stricken.

I leapt off the statues and onto the rooftops, making my way towards the North.

As I reached the Northern entrance the sight of at least a hundred bandits making their way towards the village came into view.

I stopped and stood still, watching them approach.

'_The villagers won't make it in time. Perhaps it would be better if they do not come at all. Then only my hands would be stained with blood_'

Focusing the energy in the surrounding area into my legs, I _launched_ myself directly at them.

I flew through the air, whilst forming a sword in my waiting hands. Landing with a crash, the bandits came to a grinding halt as I stood in front of them.

'_Breathe in…Breathe out…'_

"Who're you?"

I shifted into a basic sword stance, blade in front, knees bent, feet firmly placed on the ground.

"What are you all waiting for? Kill him, he's just one man!"

With a collective roar they all charged.

A lance shot forward aiming to pierce me.

I parry the attack, step forward and swing my blade in an almost lazy arc.

Everything was perfectly _clear_. My blade slowly cut through his neck without the slightest resistance. A gargled cry left his lips before his head separated itself from his body.

His blood splashed on my face, but I took no notice of it.

Another man charged at me, this time with a large wooden club.

'_Breathe in…'_

Dodging the club, I swing my blade into a reverse grip and step backwards.

The momentum of the club dragged his body forward forcing the bandit to impale himself.

'_Breathe out…'_

I twist my body, forcing the blade to _tear_ _out_ through the side of his abdomen.

My blade was now painted in a thick coat of blood.

'_How much more? How many lives must I take? Haven't I walked enough? On this endless spiral of death…'_

* * *

"It sounds like they have already begun their attack, Master Daichi." said one of the monks.

"It matters not; we will wait and observe the situation. It is foolish to jump into a lake when one does not know how to swim." I reply.

We leapt from one tree branch to another; moments later we reached the part of the road where the battle was taking place.

Kneeling on the branch, I took in the sight immediately. Counting the number of men, analysing our chances of victory, but I was soon distracted.

It appeared to be a lone ronin fighting the bandits. A single man against a group of over a hundred men!

'_Even I would avoid such a numerous amount of foes!'_

The monks that accompanied me noticed him as well, all of us were astounded.

The ronin's skill was _extraordinary_. No wasted movement, every sword strike was precise and accurate. He weaved himself into the centre of the mass and struck down each and every man that came at him.

'_How...How is this possible? To kill so many men, so easily. Even the Grandmaster Abbot could not face so many without using Qi.'_

Soon the number of corpses outnumbered those who were still alive.

Some of the men started to slowly step back only to be cut down before they could take flight and retreat.

'_Who is this warrior?'_

* * *

"Wait! No, stop-"

My blade ran through his right eye, into his brain and out the back of his skull.

A gruesome way to cut short his cry for mercy.

Wrenching his body off my sword, I finally took notice of my surroundings, their corpses strewn all over.

The battle was over.

'_No, there's still one left...Gorou.'_

Behind me came the village militia, who had finally arrived. Each one shocked at the amount of death.

"You...you're…You're a monster! A demon! There's no way a human could do this! Who the hell are you!"

Gorou was shaking, his whole body _quivered_ with fear.

I slowly walked towards him. For each step I took, he took two steps backwards.

"Seven years ago I stumbled into your camp. You were planning to attack the village..."

He slowly processed my words, recalled his memories and soon a look of sheer _terror_ is directed towards me.

"_Yes_...That's it; show me your _fear_..."

I could feel it. The same strange sensation as before enveloped me as I began to _change_.

That primitive energy suddenly coursed through me. I didn't reject it, nor hold it back.

"I had hoped you would change your ways so I spared you, but it seems that I should have instead sent you to the _Shinigami_."

The blade in my hands returned to its liquid state before transforming into an entirely different weapon, a kusarigama.

The sickle had a soft white coloured handle and a shining silver blade, the chain was black and each segment was bladed.

The sharp edges of the chain did not cut into my fingers even as I begun swinging the weight in a small circle. Instantly letting the chain fly, it flew towards Gorou and wrapped itself around his neck, slicing the skin and drawing a lot of blood.

"_Sayonara._"(Farewell, Goodbye)

I violently tugged on the chain, immediately severing his head.

Some of the villagers turned away, their stomachs unable to handle the sight and heaved on the side of the road.

As my body returned to its natural state, I let the weapon in my hands melt away. This battle was over.

"I will take my leave. Tell Hiroto-san that I am grateful for the kindness the village has shown towards me, and that they will not have any troubles with bandits."

Without pause, I started to walk away down the road.

"Alto-sama! Thank you! Thank you for saving our village!"

Looking back, I saw that they had all got on their knees bowing, their foreheads touching the ground.

"Please, don't bow to me. A devil like me deserves nothing."

Unexpectedly a group of men appeared dressed in monks robes. All of them were unarmed except for one, who was carrying a staff. They gave me a guarded look, but otherwise appeared composed. Unaffected by the horrific scene that lay before him.

"You were watching the battle from the trees." I stated. "Or else, you would not be so calm."

"Indeed, I did watch the battle from afar. I would have surely stepped in and assisted you, but your skill with a sword is extraordinary. Clearly you are a master of your weapon."

The monk with the staff stepped forward unafraid of me and gave a small bow. Which I returned in kind.

I was...surprised. Most of the monks I have met were..._unkind_, convinced that I am possessed by a demon and that in order to free my soul, I must be killed.

"I have not mastered anything. I am but a novice in the way of the sword and have yet to comprehend the virtues of Bushido." I replied.

The monk chuckled. "So modest." He took a look at the corpses around him. "Ronin-san, would you like to join us on our way back to the temple. I'm sure the Grandmaster would be most eager to meet you."

I lowered myself to my knees and bowed.

"Your offer is kind...but I am not sure if someone like myself, who has bathed in battle and blood would be welcome in the sacred halls of your temple. How can Kami forgive my sins, when I cannot forgive myself?"

With a kind smile he replied.

"Then you should learn how to forgive once more. Many walk astray off the Path, but no matter how lost one finds themselves they can always find their way back."

He grasped my shoulders and raised me to my feet.

"I, Yamamoto Daichi, will gladly welcome you with open arms." He turned to his fellow men and issued orders. "Brothers, stay with the villagers and ensure their safety. I will escort our guest to our temple."

Daichi and I left soon after the villagers gave me their thanks once more.

* * *

Passing through the forest for an hour we soon came into a clearing. The temple came into view and it left me almost speechless.

Walls almost three metres high and a stone gate that seemed to have been carved by the most skilled of masons greeted me. The inside was similar to the courtyard of the Daimyo that held Takezō and myself captive for three years. Grass and shrubs grown with great care and stone paving lead us deeper into the temple quarters.

As we entered further in the architecture seemed to appear older, as if it were as ancient as the gods themselves. Through another set of doors I finally saw the main courtyard.

This temple was _far_ larger than the Daimyo's palace and the site of nearly five hundred monks performing a series of kata was amazing to watch.

"Alto-san, the Grandmaster's chamber is this way."

The Grandmaster's chamber was a large room with tatami mats with calligraphic works hanging from the wall. On the floor lay a variety of paintings, each laid out to dry. They were not great artistic works, but rather the imagination of a child. Unrestrained. Not tied down by a style or held back by the leash of convention or tradition.

'_Freedom of thought given physical form_'

"I let the young ones paint whatever their minds and hearts can dream of."

An old man at the end of the chamber stood still; his eyes still fixed on the paintings before him.

"Freedom of the mind is just as important as freedom of body and spirit."

He turned and walked slowly towards me, the rings on the staff he held jingled with step.

"Go to the children and tell them I'll return soon," he said with a small nod towards Daichi.

As soon as Daichi left, he directed me to a small table to the side of the chamber with what appeared to be freshly brewed tea. Attending to my cup before his own, he then pulled from his robes an elaborate, yet antique fan.

"They call you the Fumetsu Kenki." He stated, quietly fanning himself.

Though his wrinkled face at first glance would reveal nothing but an aged man; his eyes were sharp. Acutely examining me for any weakness. My posture, demeanour and my general appearance were all being scrutinised.

I have met plenty of old men who were once great in their time, but none exuded such authority and strength such the man before me. It was almost as if meeting Takuan again.

"That is what they call me in this era," I whispered, staring at my reflection in the cup I held.

"I have had many names, but none describe me so…_accurately_ as the one they have chosen for me in this age of chaos and unrest."

The old man raised his cup to his lips. "So are really a devil?" he said before taking a sip.

"I've…_lost count_…of how many lives I have ended with these hands. Death is all my hands know how to do anymore. To sow the seeds of death and reap the consequences."

I drank some of the tea hoping it would help calm myself.

"It appears as if you are drawn to conflict and unfortunately…conflict is drawn to you."

I could do nothing but sit in silence.

"Who taught you the Way of the Sword?" he asked.

"I was never formally taught. I learnt swordsmanship from the mountains near my village."

"Was your father a samurai?"

"I never knew my real parents… I was raised by an old mute."

* * *

A sudden burst of laughter rang through the halls of the temple, echoing along each of the corridors.

"What the–dammit," one monk cursed, as he spilt tea onto himself.

His fellow brothers laughed at his mishap.

"Sounds like the Grandmaster's having a good time," said another monk.

Daichi entered the room and sat down alongside them.

"The Grandmaster's currently entertaining our guest," he said.

"What guest?" asked the first monk.

"The _Fumetsu Kenki_."

"WHAT?"

* * *

The old man laughed quite heartily for a while before calming down. It felt strange being laughed at by an old monk.

'_It really does feel like Takuan again…_'

"You…are the most remarkable man I've met in all my years. A man with no warrior lineage. Raised by a mute and learnt swordsmanship from the mountains."

He took a deep breath, and for a moment appeared to be in deep thought.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Miyamoto Alto" I replied

"I see…" Placing his cup down he looked at me with an expression I recall only seeing once in my life.

The last time I received that look was just before a great turning point in my life. It was the look Takuan gave me after my three year incarceration, just before he renamed me.

"Miyamoto-san, I humbly request that you be a guardian of our temple."

The offer left me absolutely _dumbstruck_.

"This temple has protected secrets that if in the wrongs hands would be disastrous. When a man who cannot die suddenly appears before me and whose skill with a blade is by far unmatched. Peerless! I cannot stand by and simply watch such a boon chance slip away."

Daichi's words from before echoed in my ears.

'_A guardian? Am I really capable of being such? Even when I failed to protect that which was most precious to me?_'

* * *

"He's hesitating."

Waving her hand, the pool rippled and sifted through a multitude of images and scenes.

"He'll accept," I replied, taking out a pack of cigarettes and placing one in my mouth.

"Must you do that appalling habit within my presence?" She reprimanded.

"Please forgive my callousness Milady; it is but a forced habit of mine to avoid showing weakness."

With a surprised expression she asked "To whom, me?"

I chuckled. "No, to myself," I answered before lighting the stick of tobacco and inhaling.

"Yourself?" With a quick motion of her hand a fan appeared and snapped open. "Are you saying that the _Fallen Angel_ himself is as fallible and frail as the people who worship us?" she questioned mockingly.

Blowing a small ring of smoke. "Indeed that is exactly what I'm saying Milady."

"But are we not gods? Do we not have the power to shape anything to our will?"

I began to pace around the chamber occasionally taking a breath of my cigarette.

"Well?" she asked expectantly.

"It is true that we are gods…and can bend anything to our will, but we are not as strong or as smart as we think we are."

Stopping to take another puff, I continued.

"Of all the gods that take pride in themselves as gods and revel in their power, I alone am the wisest, because I alone know that I know nothing."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Any lesser being such as an angel would never be able to evolve into a god naturally, but I found a method that would allow me become one. The reason why they hunt me so fervently is because I have evolved so rapidly from an angel to god. I advanced at such a rate that they feared I would one day be on par with them in terms of raw power."

The cigarette was nearly finished so I burnt the thing to ashes before continuing.

"I know the truth. The truth that only a few know, a truth that they would never openly reveal. To do so would forever change the balance of power. At this moment the balance is _very_ much in my favour."

She stopped fanning herself and quietly processed my words. Nervously biting her lip she asked yet another question.

"If what you say is true then why did you call for assistance? Not just from gods that are naturally inclined to help one of their own but from those who would take any chance to strike you down?"

"Our opponent is not one to go down so easily. It is true that he is a nobody in terms of fame and glory, but he is just as dangerous as myself. He too knows the truth and is attempting to use it to overthrow the current gods from their seat of power."

I stepped close to the pool and waved my hand over it. Shifting the images to focus solely on the _ronin_.

"The boy is my weapon. If this war were to be like chess then he is like the pawn that is secretly advancing towards the enemy, and by the time they realise he is there, it would be far too late to stop him."

Gazing at the face of our champion I could not help but smile.

"After all, even the humble pawn can grow to become a queen."

* * *

"Grandmaster Kazue-san, I…"

'_For too long I have spent wandering the lands without aim or purpose. Perhaps this is the start of something new._'

"I accept your offer with great pleasure and will do my utmost best to uphold the honour of this temple and will gladly give myself to protect it."

* * *

"And so it begins…" she whispered.

* * *

Another chapter posted! Hope you enjoyed it!


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Ronin Monk…**

* * *

"Where is it?" shouted a voice.

"Maybe it's all in a single place? Like a chamber?" shouted another.

"Get rid of those children they're blocking the door!" yet another shouted.

'_So loud…Who are they? I do not recognise their voices._'

I attempted to stand, but my joints ached from remaining still in the same position for months. My meditation had been disrupted.

Suddenly the doors of this chamber were being pounded repeatedly.

"Guardian-sama! Guardian-sama! They're killing everyone, they're going to kill us!" cried a young child's voice.

Immediately shaking off the effects of my long meditation, I rushed to the doors, removing the wooden block that kept it locked. Pulling the doors open revealed a horrifying sight.

Dead…they were all dead. My brothers and sisters corpses lay strewn around the entrance of my chamber, their bodies nearly burnt to ashes.

'_No…no…it can't be…_'

Two children ran towards me, hiding themselves behind my hakama. One was carrying a large bundle in his arms that was…_crying_?

"Who the hell are you?"

The voice brought my attention back to my dead brethren. It was a group of men wearing some sort of military uniform. They all wore dark blue shirts and green flak jackets over them adorned with a symbol that resembled a fan as well as a large spiral on the shoulder pads. Most of them had on their foreheads a headband with a symbol that looked like a spiral in the shape of a leaf.

'_Have they come for the secrets I have been guarding?_'

"Why have you come here?" I demanded.

"The secrets of the Rikudou Sennin will be ours. To strengthen our clan to even greater heights!"

The man was possibly their leader as the rest seemed to become more confident by his words. He had short black hair and onyx coloured eyes. They _all_ had the same eye colour. Even for a clan, it is uncommon for them to share such a similarity…unless…

I raised my hands and soon silver metallic liquid flowed from my sleeves, slipping between my fingers, forming two steel bokken. The men looked shocked but quickly spread out to cover the exit.

"A Kekkei Genkai? (Bloodline Limit)" the leader asked.

"Yes," I answered. He tensed and grabbed a kunai from his holster, a move all of them mimicked. "But…it is not the only Kekkei Genkai I have."

"What? More than one? That's impossible!" shouted one of the men.

"No, it is very much possible that one can have multiple bloodlines, but such secrets will never be revealed to murderous butchers."

The leader started shaking a little, and then soon he burst into laughter.

'_How dare he have the audacity to…to __laugh__!_'

"What makes you think you have a chance at stopping us, huh? These monks were hardly a challenge! A few Katon jutsu and their dead!" He mockingly dared.

"I am Uchiha Fugaku, Leader of the Uchiha Clan. We will be _acquiring_ whatever secrets are held within this temple. After all it is only proper that we take what is rightfully ours, for our clan shall be the one to rule Konoha(Leaf/Leaves)," He challenged.

"I am Miyamoto Alto, Temple Guardian. I will enjoy making many widows and fatherless children today when I lay your corpses on your clan's doorstep, even if you are descendants of Brother Riku," I declared.

I looked at the children clutching my hakama tightly, the fear in their eyes were clear.

"Children, enter the chamber behind me and close the doors. You have seen enough death today; there is no need for such innocent eyes to be clouded with bloodshed."

Reluctantly they released their hold of me and quickly executed my order. When the doors shut my attention turned back to the _invaders_.

"It has been a while since the sensation of combat has flowed through me," I stated. "Know this, _Sons of Uchiha_! I will kill each and every one of you. I am not a monk, who will give you a second chance, but a humble warrior, who will give you none."

I took a sword stance that I had not used since Musashi had first instructed me in the style. I promised myself never to use it unless the situation was dire.

"Prepare and steel yourselves! I advance!" I shouted with vigour.

I charged forward, bringing the bokken down on the closest man. My vision _shifted,_ that sensation of absolute clarity enveloped my senses. Bringing his kunai to block the strike was a poor decision. The sound of metal shattering and bones crunching echoed.

"Setsuna!" screamed a young man.

~_Oh dear…does the little child need his mother…_~

'_Don't be cruel…I take little pleasure from this. Most of them are young save for two. The leader and the man next to him. They look rather alike…perhaps brothers…_'

~_Well then…if their all somewhat related then it should be easy to __rile__ them up._~

I stood over his body looking at him with fake amusement and boredom. I slowly wiped away the blood on the bokken with his clothes.

"Hmph…I expected…_more_," I whispered, sliding my foot slightly beneath him.

"What are you doing you bastard!"

"Removing unwanted _filth_ from my presence," I calmly spoke before violently kicking the corpse with enough strength to send him flying towards the group.

~_I must admit…you mimic me quite nicely._~

'_Being a mindless beast is easy. Being a man is a much harder task_'

~_Ah! You wound me so Aniki!_ (bro)~

Without pause I leapt forward bringing both blades behind my shoulders. Too distracted to counter as they caught the body, I smashed two more heads with a single cross-like technique.

Several shuriken took flight towards me rapidly spinning. Slightly jumping and with a mid-air twist, the projectiles harmlessly continued their course…only to kill the man to my right.

The thrower on my left watched the results of his attack with horror. Taking another opportunity, I stabbed the tip of the bokken through the dip between his collarbones. They all _quivered_, then their eyes changed. Red eyes with three tomoe spinning rapidly.

'_Are they not shinobi? Are they not accustomed to such __simple__ brutality?_'

~_If one can so easily burn innocent people to ashes, then one would think they would not be shaken by death. Pathetic swine!_~

"This ends _now_," Each bokken swiftly reformed into a common katana.

Focusing the Qi in the surrounding area to enter my body as I took a deep breath, the shinobi paused clearly sensing the rapid inflow of energy. I raised my blades high in preparation.

"What the hell-"

"_Shodai Kiri _(The first mist/cut or The first cut with a sword)"

The blades came crashing down with tremendous force, unleashing a wave of Qi that _rippled_ through each man. A moment of silence passed before they started falling down one after another, blood flowing out of their mouths like a grotesque fountain.

The only one left alive was Fugaku…

"You flared your chakra to the point where it enveloped your whole body much like a shield. An effective way to protect yourself, but nonetheless _pointless_," I deduced, walking towards him.

'_You must truly be a strong shinobi to have quickly countered in time_'

"Your quick thinking merely prolonged the inevitable. You hardly have any chakra for which to fight effectively," Stopping a few steps away. "Will you yield and take your own life? Or shall I take your head for all that you and your clansmen have done here today?" I demanded.

"I…I w-won't let it end l-like this," he stammered. It was apparent that he was barely remaining conscious, obviously due to chakra exhaustion. His eyes flickered from black to red.

"_Everything_ will end. Your goals, your ambitions, your _life_. Now, make your choice," I whispered harshly, bringing my sword high in the air.

"Go to hell!" he screamed with defiance.

Without a word, I brought the sword down swiftly. His head fell and rolled into a position where his eyes still gazed at me with his last amount of anger and hatred. Looking around the chamber, the corpses of my brothers, sisters and their killers lay side by side.

'_Even now Kazue…Daichi…a part of me still can't forgive myself._'

Walking back towards the doors of my chamber I lightly knocked. "You're safe now. They won't hurt anyone anymore."

Slowly the doors creaked open and before I could even react, they ran towards me crying into the folds of my hakama. I felt strangely hollow as I knelt down to embrace them. I had kept the secrets of the temple safe, but failed to save the disciples. The attack was far too successful if they were so easily defeated. The funeral for Grandmaster Hayato was only yesterday. The shinobi must have known, and that it would be the most opportune moment to strike.

'_I failed… I failed all of them…_'

~_No…it isn't the end, but new beginning. Nothing lasts forever…_~

'_Nothing but me…_'

* * *

I sat near the bed watching over them. The damage that the shinobi had done was just unbearable to conceive. The village was still standing, but everyone had been brutally butchered. From what the children described they couldn't even _see_ them. Understandable from people who were never trained in the art of combat, yet to not even get a _glimpse_ or even see _blurs_ of high speed movement was unheard of. The shinobi I executed didn't demonstrate any such ability. Another strange mystery was that there were no signs of fire damage. The temple was scorched in many places but nothing caught fire. Most likely because they didn't want the temple to be burnt to ashes before they got their hands on the secrets.

Which would lead to the possibility that some other group had done so, but the children specifically said that the only foreign group that was in the area was the shinobi that arrived two days ago. They arrived under the guise that they were on a mission and required a place to stay before they reached their final destination. The Third Shinobi War had ended and none of the nations were eager to rekindle old conflicts.

Yamamori was deep in Iwa(Stone) country. It was no secret that Konoha and Iwa strictly avoid each other and hold a bloody grudge for past transgressions. If that was the case, then the shinobi had acted on their own without sanction from their ruling Kage(Shadow). An incident such as this would easily lead to war if not for the various nations hoping to keep the current 'status quo'.

The bundle shifted then returned back to its normal state. It was a surprise to find that the bundle was actually two newborn girls. The boy Keitaro, found them hidden in a basket while Ken'ichi and him were looking for survivors. The said their names were Kairi and Miki…their mother…was found lying on the floor unmoving in a pool of blood. For such young children to be exposed to the brutality of the shinobi world would surely leave them scarred for life. The boys refused to sleep without me being right next to them.

Keitaro was the blacksmith's son. White hair that parted in the middle, reaching down to his jaw and the brightest _silver_ eyes. Both his hair and clothes were covered in soot, no doubt from helping his father in the workshop. Ken'ichi was Hayato's grandson and great things were expected from him as his Qi was almost identical to Brother Riku's, or as most know him…the Rikudo Sennin. He had the same unique hair and eyes as him; a bit rough with spikes on the top, but then perfectly straight hair neck down. As well as two horn-like spikes of hair just above his forehead and _violet_ coloured eyes. Only time will tell if he gains the same bloodline as his ancestor. Both boys were only five years of age.

~_You should rest…_~

'_I have rested enough…and besides the children need to be looked after._'

~_Then shall I take care of clearing the temple? Or would you prefer to bury them yourself?_~

'_You do it… As a guardian who failed to protect them… I just…can't…_'

~_Hmmm… I see… I suppose it is better that way. The dead can wait, the living needs to be protected… I will return in the morning…_~

* * *

A quiet morning was all that greeted us as opposed to the usual sounds of the forest. The birds were not singing and the sounds of insects were not heard. The silence only reminded us of yesterday's events and made the emptiness feel almost suffocating.

"It really happened didn't it? They really killed them?"

Keitaro was staring at me with half expectant eyes, hoping that the truth was a lie. I tentatively placed a hand on his head and tried to say something, but no words would come. Tears streamed down his face as stifled a sob. Ken'ichi just sat still, his hands gripping his kimono tightly.

"I'm sorry…" I murmured. "If I-"

"It's not your fault." Ken'ichi interrupted. "As guardian your duty was to protect the secrets. We were perfectly capable of defeating those shinobi, but then…"

"Hayato-dono was a great man. It was natural for _all_ of us to mourn his passing." I said. "Even if the disciples were ready and able, many would have still perished. The men were descendants of Brother Riku."

"Brother Riku! My ancestor?" He asked.

"Yes." I replied. "The men said they were part of a shinobi clan from Konoha. We will be going there once certain matters have been taken care of."

"But, won't they come after us?" whispered Keitaro.

I knelt down and took his hands in mine.

"Kei-chan, I promise you, promise all of you. I _will_ protect you, but I need you to trust me. Can you do that?" I asked pleadingly.

With a small sniffle he nodded.

The girls were surprisingly still asleep. Most newborns require a lot of careful attention, and usually keep most parents awake throughout the night. Yet, they were quietly sleeping.

'_Hmm… Strange girls, and even stranger is the Qi they have. Like mine it resonates almost perfectly with the environment._'

Picking the girls up and tying them to my back carefully with a long cloth, I lead the boys out of the chamber and into the main courtyard.

"Where-" started Ken'ichi.

"I had our brethren and the villagers sealed in a scroll to bury them later. As for the shinobi, I did the same so that we can return their bodies back to their village." I interrupted.

Turning around I gave them both a thoughtful look.

"What is it?" Keitaro questioned.

"I have an important task for the both of you. I need you to go to the Grandmaster's room and bring me the map that hangs on the left side wall," I requested.

"Hai!" they responded, before running off.

I waited till they were out of sight before returning back to my chambers.

'_Is everything ready?_'

~_Yes. I placed the scrolls with the bodies within the Forbidden Scroll. The 1080 Juzu (Prayer Beads) are lying atop of the Kami no Ken (Sword of Kami)._~

Within my chamber was a small stone dais that had prayers inscribed into the rock itself. Placing my hand on the top and pressing down slowly, a ticking sound cyclically reverberates throughout the room. The rear wall pulsed and a large crack ran from the centre towards the edges, before shattering to reveal an altar with a scroll sitting atop.

Reverently lifting the scroll from its resting place, I strapped it behind my waist, careful not to disturb the girls, but unfortunately they had woken up.

At first it was soft whine, and then slowly the sound of crying was heard.

'_Please let this be some horrifying nightmare._'

~_You idiot._~

'_But…I…_'

~_Just try and pacify them! Do you know the way to their mother's house?_~

'_No_'

~_The boys should know the way. Ask them __after__ you get the Juzu and the sword._~

Quickly retrieving the items, I rushed back to the main courtyard. The boys were waiting holding the map anxiously, before I grabbed both of them tightly.

"Hold on!" I shouted.

I leapt straight up, soaring far above the temple walls. The boys were shouting, the girls were crying, but my focus was only getting higher in the air. Guiding the Qi to the soles of my feet and releasing them propelled me headlong to the village centre.

The wind made my hair whip left and right as we flew over the forest. With the village coming into sight, I started to descend.

"We're going to die!" Ken'ichi screamed.

The ground seemed to rapidly approach, then we all slowed down and just landed with a soft thud.

"H-how did you do that?"

"Hopefully I'll be able to teach you later, but I need you both to take me to the house where you found the girls."

They lead me to a small old-fashioned house, typical Edo style, not many people had houses like that anymore.

Entering the house, I searched for any of the 'baby supplies' that I desperately needed at the moment. Thankfully they were all in the same basket that the girls were originally found in.

~_My respect for women has increased tenfold. How they put up with this is beyond me._~

'_I'm surprised you're even capable of showing respect…_'

~_I show plenty of respect to others, I just don't respect __you__._~

'_I see…and why not?_'

~_Weak. You're far too weak to be the king..._~

As it turned out, the girls just needed to be fed. Relief washed over me when the whole ordeal was over.

'_Taking care of them is going to be no easy task._'

~_Really? I was under the impression that the situation was under control._~

'_This isn't a laughing matter! They need to be raised properly! Their mother is dead and I doubt anyone would be willing to have two extra mouths to feed._'

~_Then I suggest you get used to taking care of them… __Father__._~

I paused. I never once seriously considered having children before. The fact that I had now become the guardian of these children, made me question my ability if I was capable of raising them properly.

The thought of having a family of my own had not even once ever crossed my mind. With the various clans vying for the prize of becoming the new Shoganate of Japan, there was hardly any time for those fighting to settle down and live a content life.

I shook my head.

'_Now is not the time to hesitate..._'

* * *

The wagon continued onwards to its destination. Konoha…

A sigh brought my attention out of my casual reading.

"Is anything the matter Amaya-san?" I asked.

"Hm? Oh! Nothing's wrong, just thinking about how our new life in Konoha will turn out."

"Ah! I see. There's nothing to worry about. I'm sure your family will make a good living," I assured her, before returning my attention back to the journal.

Within the basket at the girl's house was a scroll labelled 'Uguisu' (Nightingale). The scroll contained multiple seals designed to store objects, in this case it was journals. It detailed the life of their mother and their grandmother. As much as I wanted to study them, we needed to make our way to Konoha. It was after three days on the road that we found a merchant caravan that was being threatened into pay a 'Road Toll' by a few rough looking men. After I _intervened_ the ruffians were sent running with their tails between their legs. Thankfully they were generous enough to let us join them on their journey which was leading to the same destination as ours…Konoha.

The three days we spent travelling by ourselves was quite difficult as I had no knowledge as to how to take care of and raise a child. Amayo-san was most happy to teach me how to properly take care of baby girls, having five daughters of her own, all of which are at a marriageable age. Or I assume they were of that age. I never asked, as Sister Ren had beaten it in my head to never ask a woman what her age is.

The wagon stopped and the sound of someone getting off was heard.

"Ah! Alto-san, we're stopping to water the horses," said the driver of the coach.

Exiting the wagon, I saw that we had stopped alongside a small river.

A small group of girls made its way towards me, most of them giggling over something.

"Alto-san, would you like to join us for a walk?" one of them asked.

"Hmm… I'm sure a walk would be wonderful, but I plan on doing some training today."

Looks of disappointment were briefly shown before inquiring if they could watch me train. I had no reason to object, and so I left to wake the boys up. I took them to the river to wash their faces.

"I'm not a monk," I said. "I was never trained to be one. While I _have_ learnt many things in the temple, I am not capable of guiding you to monkhood. I can only teach you to be a warrior."

Ken'ichi expression saddened before becoming determination. "Then I'll find my own way to restoring the temple."

Keitaro tugged at my sleeve. "I…want to be stronger! I won't let anyone hurt my friends!"

I couldn't help but smile at their resolve. Truthfully I never thought I would one day teach, and yet I have two disciples ready and willing to learn.

'_It is like they say. "When student is ready, teacher will appear"._'

"The first lesson you must learn is how to breathe. Without knowing how to breathe you will tire out faster than your enemy. Also you must learn how to properly meditate. Proper meditation brings oneself to a state of harmony and stillness. Allowing yourself to be goaded by the enemy will be your downfall."

Both listened with rapt attention, memorised every word.

"Now let's begin shall we?"

* * *

Alto-san was a puzzling and a somewhat enigmatic figure. He portrayed himself as a travelling warrior-monk, and yet there seemed to be an air of mystery that surrounded him. The two young boys seemed to be his disciples. Not uncommon in today's world. There were many shinobi temples, spread across the vast continent.

A monk with two newborn girls however, seemed a bit strange. He always appeared to be on guard, never letting it drop for a second. None of the children looked like they could be his. Which brought up uneasy questions of 'Where did they come from?' or 'How did four orphans end up in the care of a lone monk?'.

"Ah! They're so cute~ Can I hold them Mother?"

Awoken from my deep thoughts I looked at my daughter.

"Of course, but be careful," I warned her.

* * *

A fortnight on the road had passed and we expected to reach Konoha today.

Amaya's husband gave a shout to the rest of the wagons behind us.

"Oi Oi! Konoha! I can see the walls of Konoha!"

Keitaro's head was resting on my lap before slowly being awakened by all the commotion.

"Huh? What?"

Ruffling his hair, I happily answered his confusion. "We're arriving in Konoha."

"Really? Where's Ken-aniki?"

"I'm here," a small head poked out from the cloth blind at the front of the wagon.

"Oi, Let me sit there with you!" quickly scrambling through to the wooden perch where Ken'ichi was sitting.

Leaning back against the side, I gave a small sigh of relief.

"It's been a long journey. I…am grateful for the kindness you have shown towards myself and the children under my care. If there was a way to repay-"

"Oh no no no! If anyone should be grateful it should be us. After all you got rid of those bandits," interrupted Amaya-san.

"Before we arrive," she continued. "You once mentioned having an interest in music. Is there any instrument you prefer in particular?"

"If you insist on giving me a gift…then I would like a flute. It would be nice to play for the girls once in a while."

Amaya smiled and handed me a small box. "I had a feeling you would pick the flute. Here."

I slowly opened the box to reveal a beautifully crafted flute. The steel metal it was made out of had been engraved with small pictures that resembled the ocean waves. An item like this would be worth quite a lot of money.

"It's beautiful… Thank you, Amaya-san," I said, bowing my head.

"Would you play us a tune?" she asked.

"Of course," I replied. Bring the flute close to lips, I began to play a tune I recall learning from Sister Ren.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I hope to post the next one's soon.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Law, Justice and a new Beginning**

* * *

The guards at the gate greeted us with a cheerful expression. Most likely they were bored and that this was the only interesting event to occur today.

"To the families who seek residency please form a line. We will be handing out forms for you to fill out," shouted a guard with a cloth that covered the bridge of his nose.

"Amaya-san," I said "Thank you again for your kindness," bowing deeply to show my gratitude.

"Make sure to visit us some time. I'm sure my daughters would _love_ to keep you company," she replied.

"Mother!"

She laughed and waved goodbye to us.

I walked up to one the guards whilst making sure the girls were strapped carefully to my back.

"Is there something I can help you with?" the guard asked.

"I humbly request an audience with the Hokage."

He then appeared more alert before asking what I intended to discuss with the Kage of his village.

"I have some information that I believe to be of high importance. I cannot discuss this with anyone except for your Kage himself. It regards the deaths of your shinobi in Iwa Country."

He seemed suspicious of my request, but nonetheless agreed to let us into the village.

"Neko," he spoke aloud to no one in particular. A masked woman appeared with a katana across her back.

"Escort them to the Hokage."

* * *

The walk into the village was anything but pleasant. Many of the villagers stared as we were openly being escorted by the masked individual. I could only assume this was not a common occurrence. Keitaro held onto my sleeve the entire time, unwilling to let go even for a second.

Many of the civilians began to whisper and gossip about our arrival.

"Is he a noble?"

"Well he's certainly dressed like one."

"Who're the kids though?"

"You think their his?"

"Nah, he's too young to have that many."

~_Quite a stir you've caused, hmm?_~

'_You've been unusually quiet for the past two weeks. Anything wrong?_'

~_Nothing's wrong. I was merely bored. At this moment, you're within enemy territory. I suggest you remain alert, lest your charges come to harm._~

* * *

The Hokage tower was hardly elegant, but it was sturdy and each area had a purpose. Practical and efficient.

We had been placed in the waiting room for nearly an hour. The Hokage was in the middle of delegating missions to his shinobi and could not be disturbed.

The shogi door opened and a shinobi with a green flak-jacket instructed us to follow him into the room.

The room had shelves of files placed against the wall with a long desk placed at the back where the Hokage himself sat. The Hokage was an aged man in robes, wearing a triangular shaped hat with the character for fire stitched on the front. He was no different from Hayato. The way he carried himself and the respect he commanded was very much the same. He stared at the children for a while before speaking.

"I was informed you had some information about my shinobi and Iwa," he stated.

"Indeed I do. The information may come as a shock to you, Hokage-sama."

This was no time for weakness. Showing even the slightest bit of uncertainty would shift the balance of our talk. If the scales tipped in his favour then the children would certainly be in danger.

Shinobi were not above killing children.

'_I will not let any harm come to them. Not as long as I still draw breath._'

"I have a scroll in my possession. Within that scroll, lies the corpses of your men," I spoke with as much confidence that was needed to show that I was _not_ a person to be trifled with.

Immediately I sensed multiple people surround the room. Their presence was cleverly masked, but their sudden tenseness made it easier to locate them.

"These men had attacked a temple in Iwa, of which I was a guardian of. They attempted to steal our secrets. In addition, they also killed all the villagers within the village nearby."

The old man hardly moved a muscle. His eyes were hard and was no doubt ready and willing to end any conflict himself, if needed.

"A temple is holy ground, no matter _where_ it is. I have never issued nor accepted any mission that would result in a temple being attacked."

'_He didn't deny the attack on the village... What else are you hiding old man?_'

"I know," I replied. "Rogue-nin tend to work alone, but these men showed no sign of having left their village illegally."

Very slowly, I reached into one of the inner pockets within my haori and withdrew the scroll that contained their bodies.

Placing it on the ground before me, I welcomed him to take it.

Motioning for one of his men to examine it for any traps, his gaze once again fell on the children.

"Are these children yours?" he asked.

"No. They…are the only survivors of the attack. From both the temple and the village."

Shock flashed across the Hokage's face before steeling himself.

'_Either he was hoping they would be no survivors, or he never expected that his men would do such a thing without reason._'

"Hokage-sama," The shinobi had apparently finished examining the scroll for any deception.

"I believe there is something you must know."

"And what is that?"

"_I_ was the one who killed each and every person inside that scroll."

This time he did not conceal his shock. ~_He's shaken. Now the balance is in your favour! Be careful, this may end up with a tough fight._'

"What village were you trained in?" he demanded.

"None. I trained myself and was later trained personally by the Grandmasters of the temple."

Things were starting to get dangerous. I slowly channelled small amounts of Qi throughout my body.

~_This could be a very dangerous bloodbath…_~

'_Indeed…_'

"Open the scroll," He commanded.

The shinobi nodded and laid the scroll across the floor, showing all twenty storage seals. With a small pulse of Chakra the seals flared and the sight of twenty corpses appeared. A head rolled towards the man, its eyes still open in a chilling stare.

"What the- That's Fugaku!" the man cried out.

"It is as I feared…"

The Hokage sighed and looked down in shame. "ANBU! Call an emergency council meeting. If everyone isn't here in an hour without good reason, then I will have them stripped of their position," he ordered.

"Alto-san, you have my most sincere apologies. This matter must be dealt with quickly and as carefully as possible. It would be best if you were present with me in the meeting that is to be held," he implored.

"Of course. This is a delicate situation for you and your village. If I can be of any assistance, then please do not hesitate to call upon me for aid," I responded.

The Hokage opened a draw and pulled out a brass smoking pipe. Filling it with some tobacco he then proceeded to light it and puff on it. For a moment he wasn't the iron-hard leader he portrayed, but a man who had seen and experienced far too much.

"Dark times have fallen on this village, and it seems even more darker and sinister things are yet to come…"

* * *

The council chambers were filled with various, prominent figures of Konoha. The head of each ninja clan were seated on the right side, while the civilian clan leaders sat on the left.

~_Look to the right, at the far end._~

Directing mygaze to the suggested direction, I saw a young boy and a woman with the same fan symbol that the temple attackers had.

'_Ah… The boy looks like he could be Fugaku's son. If that's true, then the woman must be his mother._'

Everyone in the room was whispering, wondering what the purpose of this meeting was. Most were the civilians. The ninja clan representatives merely watched the situation, quietly making observations. Everyone had noticed my presence.

The chamber doors closed and silence immediately followed. The Hokage stood beside me, taking one last puff from his pipe before extinguishing it.

"This council meeting is now in session. I thank you for coming here on such short notice. The subject of this meeting is about the disappearance of Uchiha Fugaku and nineteen other clan members," he began.

"It has been confirmed that…they are dead. I had their bodies examined and have found no signs of deception. In front of you are a variety of files. The first is the autopsy report and the rest are simply testimonies from a number of individuals."

Everyone picked up the files and immediately began to read through them. Most of the civilians were slightly confused while the military side of the council were outright shocked. I assumed they understood the severity of the injuries I inflicted on the now dead clan members.

"Before we proceed," the Hokage continued "I'm sure you are curious as to who the people seated to my right are."

Again their focus turned towards me. The boys quickly attempted to hide behind me in a futile effort to avoid their gaze.

The Hokage motioned for me to speak and seated himself.

"My name is Miyamoto Alto, I was until recently a temple guardian. I am the one who killed the Uchiha clan head and the members that accompanied him."

The entire council suddenly erupted in a cacophony of shouts and accusations.

~_Unbelieveable! Do the words '__Political Disaster__' mean anything to you? You openly admitted to murdering their people!_~

'_I cannot deny what I did! My actions were __justified__. It was to protect not only the children but the Forbidden Scroll as well._'

~_Their __ninja__, they will bend your words. They will not hesitate to defend their own through __deceit_.~

A man with bandages around his arm and face slammed his cane and called for silence.

"Sarutobi! Why has that man not been apprehended and taken to Ibiki for interrogation?" he demanded.

"Danzo-" Before the Hokage could continue, I answered for him.

"My actions were justified-"

"Justified! You killed one of our clan heads!" a civilian councilman interrupted.

"They attacked my temple. A temple that I have been guarding for longer than you can _possibly_ imagine," I countered.

"You dare accuse the clan head of such a thing? Mind your tongue boy!" Danzo threatened.

"They butchered everyone! There was barely anything left of my brethren, not even corpses. All that were left were cinders of what was once their bodies."

A civilian councilman stood up and slammed his palms on his table.

"Why would they attack your temple? What could they possibly hope to gain?" he questioned.

"And another question, what proof do you have that they did attack?" Danzo inquired.

This was feeling more like an interrogation than a council hearing.

"The children in my care are the _only_ survivors, and your clan leader was going to burn them to ashes if I had not defended them. Fugaku and his men sought the secrets that I was tasked to protect," I refuted.

"And what exactly are these secrets? What is it about your temple that makes it so special?" this time a woman from the ninja council stood up.

"If what you claim is true, then the secrets you guarded must be something of great value correct?"

She did not appear angry, but rather calm in this whole mess. She did look rather fierce with two markings on her cheeks and if my eyes do not deceive me…fangs.

"Our temple is the place where the Rikudo Sennin was born, raised and later taught the ways of Chakra."

Absolute silence reigned supreme.

The secret was out. I could only pray that I would be strong enough to protect the legacies left behind by our temple. Each and every person was stunned; most of them had to pick their jaws off the floor.

"But I thought that it was only a myth, a legend…" the woman whispered.

"Brother Riku was an orphan that we took in; he later chose to become a disciple and eventually left the temple to travel around the various nations at the time. The rest is as your legend describes. The Senju and Uchiha are mixed descendants of his," I elaborated.

"Mixed decendants?" inquired the Hokage.

"Yes… They did not inherit his knowledge or abilities."

"This is quite a startling revalation-" he began before being interrupted again.

"The Senju and Uchiha are one of our most _noble_ clans in Konoha. If they are not his true descendants then who are?" Danzo demanded.

"Ken'ichi," I beckoned. He stepped forward from behind still clutching to me with a vice-like grip.

"The boy before you is Brother Riku's direct descendant. He carries the same blood as he did, unchanged and pure."

"Wait!" cried one of the clan heads; a man with three scars across the side of his face. "Does it exist? The Rinnegan? Does the boy have the same bloodline as him?"

"Only time will tell…" I answered.

Danzo had a strange contemplative look. I didn't like it; he seemed to be the type of ninja that were considered to be the most dishonourable. The type who would gladly sell their soul if it would further their ambitions.

"There still remains the question of how you managed to kill Fugaku and his men," he began while sifting through the files given to him.

"The autopsy report says that the insides of their bodies had completely been torn apart, besides a few men who revealed only fractured skulls. Fugaku also showed the same type of injuries to a lesser extent, it is possible that with treatment he could have survived, but then you _severed_ his head from his body."

Raising his head and with a defiant look. "I find it hard to believe that a single person could do this. Fugaku was an _elite Jonin_. The men that accompanied him were all seasoned Chunin with the exception of his brother who also was an elite Jonin."

He slammed his cane on the floor. "I demand an explanation!"

"If you like, I can demonstrate the technique. Perhaps you would oblige by being the target," I mockingly countered.

"I believe we have sufficiently proven that Fugaku and his men were guilty of attacking the temple," the Hokage intervened. "There was the motive of stealing temple secrets, and there is also the witness accounts to take into consideration."

"Therefore I declare that the Uchiha clan make amends to Alto-san and his charges. Does the council have any objections to this?"

The young boy from the Uchiha clan stood up.

"I do not have any objections, but...I would like to formally apologise for the actions that my father and clansmen have taken against you. The Uchiha will pay any form of reparation that you may desire."

"Itachi!" his mother cried out.

"Don't!" he shouted. "Don't defend father, not anymore. What he did was close to _genocide_! The clan has to pay for his stupidity. When the bodies are released, we'll hold a clan funeral."

His mother almost burst into tears, but could not dispute what her son had said. Turning to me, he gave a deep bow.

"I know that nothing will ever replace or bring your fallen brethren back, but even so, I hope that this terrible incident will not create any hatred against our clan for the mistake of a few," he said bowing even further.

"My quarrel was with your father. I offered a chance for him to surrender, and he refused. My hatred and vengeance against your clan ended when I took his life," I replied.

He straightened himself, a great weight seemingly lifted off his shoulders.

"What sort of compensation do you wish for us to pay?" he asked.

"When I first arrived here, I intended to simply return their bodies to their family. Yet this village is quite…_peaceful_. I had always assumed that a ninja village would be in constant conflict. I believe that I can live here and raise the children well."

"I see…" he whispered.

"I believe it will be better to discuss such matters in private, Uchiha-san."

The Hokage stood up and began to end the hearing.

"This hearing has ended and a satisfactory conclusion has been reached. You may all return to your homes." He declared before signalling the guards to open the chamber doors.

* * *

The Hokage gave us a hotel room to stay in until our living arrangements were dealt with. It was late into the night, the children were sleeping, and yet I could not shake the feeling that we were being watched. If keeping them safe meant forsaking sleep, then so be it.

Suddenly the sound of someone knocking on the door echoed through the room.

Opening the door revealed the boy from the council hearing, Itachi.

"May I come in?" he asked. I led him to the main room and offered him some tea I had recently brewed.

"Is it wrong for me to assume that your presence here is about what occurred in the council hearing?" I inquired.

"Not at all, that is exactly why I'm here." He replied, taking a small sip from the cup of warm tea.

"I previously expressed my desire to live in the village. If it is possible and within your power, I wish for a suitable place to easily raise and train the children."

"You're very much like a samurai," he said. "And yet you harbour no hatred for my profession."

"I'm just a simple warrior seeking the truth through the sword. I cannot deny that your methods are commonly viewed as dishonourable, but I believe that sometimes that such actions are necessary to achieve peace." I explained.

"You…are very wise, you seem to radiate the same wisdom as the Hokage and yet, only a few years elder to myself."

I gave a small chuckle. "I'm not as young as you are led to believe."

He paused for a moment, trying to understand the meaning behind my words. "Is there anything in particular you wish for your future home to have?"

Taking a small sip from my own glass, I replied. "If possible, I would like to have a forge."

"You know the art of making weapons?" He appeared quite surprised about this newfound knowledge.

"Yes, I was taught the art of smithing, I was hoping to make a living by making weapons."

"Have you considered becoming a shinobi? You would be a most welcome addition to our forces, and the pay _is_ quite substantial," he offered.

"I'm afraid at this time it is not possible for me to join the military force. I have four children to take care of; the newborn girls will require some special attention."

"I see…" he whispered.

He placed his cup down and rose from his chair.

"I will see to it that by the end of the week your new home will be ready," he said with a troubled look.

"Something the matter?" I asked.

"The house you desire exists in the Uchiha clan district. I would gladly give the place to you, but…"

His hands curled into fists, knuckles white from the tightness.

"There are some in the clan who _disagree_ with my decision to accept fault and make amends. Some even believe that you should be executed for killing my father." He whispered.

"I don't mind living near your clan members," I said. Again he was surprised by my choice. "I made it quite clear that no one will harm the _children_ under my care without consequence. If they have a score to settle with _me_ then we can settle it as men on the battlefield."

With a small nod, Itachi then proceeded to leave. Opening the door for him, he left with a small bow.

"Farewell Alto-san."

"Farewell Uchiha-sama."

* * *

"Kei-chan, Ken-chan, it's time for you to rise," I said, shaking them awake. "Go through your morning exercises while I prepare breakfast."

Gurgles of little laughter suddenly came from the kitchen. Making my way there, I was greeted with a sight that was starting to become more common. The girls were happily flinging bits of food at each other and clearly enjoying it.

"Honestly, what I am to do with you two?" I asked them. I couldn't help but laugh at their behaviour.

We were to move into the Uchiha clan compound today. Itachi was kind enough to provide me with something he called a pram. It made it so much easier to move through the village with the girls.

News of Fugaku and his clansmen's death had spread through the village like fire. Before noon, the entire populace was buzzing. By now, most of the civilians would know of my involvement in the death of Fugaku. Since yesterday, quite a few of the civilians were wary of my presence in any of their establishments. I can only hope that such treatment will not extend towards the children I care for.

"Alto-sensei, where are we going?" Keitaro asked innocently.

"Have you ever had dango before?"

He shook his head "Nope, what is it?"

"A fun sweet. I took you both for ramen yesterday so today I decided to let you try something new," I said, guiding the pram towards a small outdoor seating area. The restaurant was not expensive, built and designed in a simple fashion.

Setting the pram near one of the empty tables, we all seated ourselves. A young woman came to us ready to take our order. Her movements were too sharp, too precise.

~_She's a ninja! Watch your surroundings carefully. There may be more, it's possible that the people sitting nearby are not simple civilians._~

"We'll have two servings of dango and I'll have a bottle of hot sake," I ordered, watching her movements. Writing it all down, she then left.

Most of the people around took short glances at us. The boys didn't know, but such things were not above my notice.

'_What do you suppose they are watching me for?_'

~_You killed one of their clan leaders. A man they believed to be highly skilled. They most likely wish to assess how powerful you are, and keep an eye on Ken'ichi._~

'_Ken'ichi? What for? Is it because he is Riku's descendant?_'

~_Yes. So you best be vigilant, lest they try some underhanded tactic._~

The serving girl returned with our order, and left after I paid for the meal. The boys each took a skewer and began to taste the sweet treat.

"Ah this is really good!" Ken'ichi exclaimed.

"I still like ramen better," commented Keitaro.

I gave a small chuckle as they argued which was better. During our travels to Konoha I learned that they were best friends. They had known each other since the first time Ken'ichi had been to the village with his father. They reminded me of the relationship Takezō and myself had. Ken'ichi would certainly be Takezō, both headstrong and decisive, always marching onwards. Keitaro was much like myself preferring to avoid conflict, but when it's needed, could be just as fierce as a tiger.

"Alto-sensei, there's something that's been bothering me," Ken'ichi said.

"What is it?" I asked. '_Did he notice the ninja around us?_'

"Oji-san made me memorise the temple records as part of my studies, and I noticed something strange."

He placed the skewer in his hands back on the plate.

"The temple never had a guardian until Grandmaster Kazue, but afterwards there are no records of any new guardians. It's like there was only ever one guardian for the temple all these years. The records are always truthful, even if something shameful had happened."

'_I knew I would eventually have to reveal my secret, but I never expected to do so this soon._'

I poured some sake into the saucer provided, and took a small sip. The hot drink and the burning sensation it left down my throat helped calm my nervousness.

"The truth is…that I am the first, last, and only guardian the temple ever had," I whispered.

To say Ken'ichi was shocked was an understatement.

"If I am to take care of you, raise you. Then as your guardian and as a surrogate father I must not keep secrets that you are both entitled to know."

This time I gulped the rest of the sake in one go, before pouring myself another.

"I'm _immortal_. I always have been. Time is _meaningless_ and death, an old friend. Both seem like nothing more than an illusion, a _cursed blessing_ that has plagued me since birth."

I downed yet another shot of sake. The memories flooded my mind, it wouldn't stop, they just wouldn't stop…

~_Calm down! Your emotions are making the place waver with too much energy. Even passers-by are beginning to take note of it._~

* * *

I couldn't believe what I just heard. It was insane, crazy, _absolute madness_. Subconsciously I rubbed the seal on my neck.

'_Sensei… He __dreamed__ of achieving immortality. He sought after it with such fervour that it consumed him._'

The man that Hokage-sama requested I keep an eye on had just stated that he was immortal. The Hokage has to be informed of such critical information. The ninja that were also part of this team were all just as stunned by this revelation.

Yet, there was something very strange. The air suddenly seemed so… dense?

'_What secrets are hiding within yourself?_'

* * *

"I…was born in the Old World. The world that existed before this continent was even created, a world that was devoid of Chakra, a world without Qi. Ninja were _far_ more terrifying back then than they are now."

"How old are you then?" Keitaro asked.

"Physically my body is only seventeen years old, but my true age…is more than _three thousand years_."

"T-three thousand?" he shouted, his jaw wide open in shock.

"It…is a long time to live for, and I hate it."

"Why? If you can't die then you can be stronger than anybody else!" Ken'ichi inquired.

"You don't understand Ken-chan… Immortality is not as perfect as one would dream of."

By now, the entire bottle of sake was nearly finished.

"How _painful_ it feels…to watch as those close to you fade away and die, while only you continue to go on. Family, friends, even mere strangers. How _agonising_ it is…to watch as they die, from age, sickness, or because…you weren't strong enough to save them."

The cup in my hand slipped and fell back onto the serving tray. My hand wouldn't stop shaking.

"It never stops _hurting_. I simply wandered the lands as a blind man, blindly clinging onto the Way of the Sword. Grasping at threads that weren't there, but Kazue-dono gave me a _purpose_, he gave me something to _fight for_, to _die for_."

Shakily I reached out and hesitantly placed a hand on both their heads.

"That purpose now…is to protect all of you. I will bear everything on my shoulders. Your pain, your suffering, whatever burdens you may have. I will bear it all, because you are my reason for _living_."

They hugged me fiercely and for a flash…I thought I saw Kazue and Daichi standing before me, with looks of pride.

* * *

That boy, Alto. The information we gathered was enough to warrant a security team to keep an eye on him, at least until the Hokage gives the 'all clear'.

Anko was…well I wasn't sure what was going on with her. She was rubbing the curse seal on her neck and appeared to be in deep thought. The only solid facts that I had on Orochimaru was that he was conducting hazardous and illegal experiments, after he was confronted by the Sandaime Hokage ( Third Fire Shadow ) he then fled the country. Any and all other information regarding him is highly classified to a degree that even the Jonin Commander or the head of our ANBU division can't access those files.

Still…the situation was confusing. There were too many variables and unanswered questions. If this boy is truly immortal as he said, then how do we deal with him if he becomes a threat?

'_Damn it. All this crap is too much to think about._'

I dug into my weapons pouch and pulled out a familiar orange-coloured book…

* * *

The dark stone chambers made even the slightest sound echo. A security precaution and at the same time it served to make my soldiers more efficient at their stealth skills. It was always dark, as the roots of a tree should be.

'_Hidden from the light of the world. The leaves can dance and bask in the light, but it is the roots that dig deep and whose reach extends far beyond the branches above._'

"Report," I commanded.

"Danzo-sama, the boy says that he is immortal. He mentioned that he was _born_ immortal. He also spoke of something he referred to as 'The Old World'. He said that that his true age is beyond three thousand years and that this 'Old World' was the world before this continent existed."

'_Interesting…_'

"He claimed that the ninja in this 'Old World' were more dangerous and terrifying, despite saying that no one in that world had any knowledge of Chakra or something he called Qi. The boy is currently surveillance by two teams, one from ANBU and the other from the Military Police Force."

The files that I had received from the council meeting lay bare on my desk which also included updated information regarding the boy and the child that he claimed was the Rikudo Sennin's blood descendant. I read and re-read those files to the point at which I _lost count_. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore. The internal injuries that the men had received were on an extraordinary level. The autopsy had described it in detail; their insides had become almost _liquefied_.

A decision had to be made, and I had to make one now before any more time is lost. The boy has knowledge that would make Konoha invincible. Knowledge that has to be obtained no matter the cost or consequences.

"Were you detected?" I asked.

"No, but it seemed like he noticed the presence of the other teams."

"Keep a vigilant watch on him and the children. I want regular updates on my desk every week. If the chance arises then I shall even meet with him, if only to have a better standing with him in the future."

"As you command, Sir!" the soldier responded with a stiff salute.

"This mission is top priority. That boy and the children are valuable assets to this village. I don't care if the Uchiha clan are pissed, but they must be protected."

"Hai." (Yes)

Sitting down at my desk, I quickly wrote down notes regarding what I was just informed of.

'_Alto huh? You just prevented a civil war and a possible genocide. If you were part of our military force then I would give you medal and fat pay-check with six zeroes. You've not only saved the village, but given us a chance to become even stronger._'

Leaning back, I took this rare opportunity to close my eyes and rest.

* * *

Another chapter done! If you have the time, I would very much appreciate any feedback on my work.


	8. Chapter 7

Sorry about not updating for a LONG time, but nonetheless I will try to keep up with the whole concept of a chapter a month.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Illusive Alliances on the Praying Blade of Storms**

* * *

I felt like a weight had been lifted from my burdened shoulders. Openly revealing my secret was liberating, it didn't matter to me if everyone in the village would find out. The children shouldn't be left in the dark with matters concerning myself. The boys felt more at ease than before, and probably felt safer.

As we made our way to the Uchiha clan compound the same group of ninja followed us, although a few that were spying on us at the shop were gone, the majority of them remained. The entrance to the clan compound was in view and it appeared that a variety of individuals were apparently waiting for us. The clan head, Itachi was standing at the side of the gate with what appeared to be an entourage of clan members. The boys immediately moved slightly behind me and held each other's hand for support.

"Alto-san, the house you requested has been prepared and is ready for you to move in," Itachi began, his calm voice couldn't mask the palpable tension in the air.

"I took the liberty of furnishing the house; I hope you will find it to your liking."

"I'm sure I will, Uchiha-sama," I replied, after giving a bow of respect. It would be quite _counterproductive_ to anger any of them more than they already are.

"Come," he beckoned. "Walk with me. There is much to discuss."

Pushing the pram onwards, I soon fell into step with him as he proceeded to lead us to our new home.

"I'm sure you noticed the group of ninja that have been watching you for a while now?" he stated.

"To be honest, it was not that difficult," I responded.

Those of his entourage bristled at my reply.

"Really now? I was under the impression that they were to remain unnoticed."

"I'm sure they were hidden from most of the populace, but it is difficult to mask one's energy."

"Energy? Do you mean Chakra?"

'_I suppose a little lesson in energy is needed. Ken'ichi most likely knows and I'm sure Keitaro is capable of understanding the concept._'

"Ken-chan, Kei-chan, listen carefully. This is a lesson that you must understand before I can teach you the higher level techniques," I said.

Itachi looked very much interested, as did the rest of his group.

"There are many forms of energy that exist around us. Too many to specifically list. Some can be manipulated only by a certain type of people, while others can be used by anyone," I began.

I recalled my initial training in the basics of Qi with the rest of the disciples when I first began. Unlike others, I didn't find it embarrassing that I had to be taught with the rest of the beginners. All of which were merely children around the age of five.

"Chakra is mostly considered to be the energy of life. That fact is not incorrect, but it is not the only energy that is intrinsically connected to life in _all_ its forms."

At the moment, everyone began to look quite confused. It was rather amusing to watch.

'_I wonder if this is why the Grandmasters laugh all time when they teach?_'

"What is Chakra essentially?" I asked rhetorically. "It is merely the combination of Qi which is physical energy and Reishi ( Spiritual energy ) which is spiritual energy. It is the natural bonding of these two energies that create Chakra. There are other energies that one has within them, but it would be difficult for me to actually be able to teach one how to use them."

"Why is that?" An old woman asked. She may have looked quite aged, but she held herself with a manner of dignity that bordered on pompousness.

"The way I manipulate energy is vastly different from most people."

"How so?" Itachi asked. "I had assumed from your explanation that all these energies exist within us and can be manipulated," he reasoned.

"That is true for a large variety of energies, but some _cannot_ exist within oneself. Some only exist in the environment around us. I am…different from most people. The reason for this is because my body does not hold any form or type of energy that is not directly related to life itself."

"What, but that's impossible! You wouldn't be alive, let alone exist," shouted one of the ninja that were apparently tasked with guarding Itachi.

"Ah, yes… That would be correct, and yet here I am," I blatantly stated.

"Is that the reason you're immortal?" Itachi inquired.

"At first I thought the same as you, but it is not so. My immortality is one of my bloodlines."

That admission shocked them to core of their being.

"So you're saying that it can be passed down? As any other bloodline and that you have more than one?"

* * *

"Hey Tenzou-sempai! Are you getting this?" I asked to my squad-mate.

The radio crackled before his reply came.

_I heard it and quite frankly, I'm not surprised._

"I know right? But damn! Now everyone going to try and get him into their clan."

The radio crackled before other voices entered the conversation.

_Let's be honest people, any clan would jump at such an opportunity_.

_But you heard him; he said that immortality is a curse. He gave some pretty good reasons for not wanting to be immortal_.

_Yea, so what? Three thousand years! Imagine, in all that time you could learn almost all the jutsu ( technique ) in the world_.

_Idiot! That's the reason Orochimaru went rogue in the first place. He wanted to learn all the jutsu in the world, but he wouldn't live long enough to do so. Therefore he tried to find ways to become immortal_.

_How do you know so much about Orochimaru?_

_I was there when Hokage-sama raided one of his labs_.

"Alright guys cut the chatter. It looks like he's got an answer," I commanded.

* * *

"I do indeed have more than one bloodline, but it is hard to explain," I stated.

"What are these bloodlines? Or are they secrets?"

The elders in the group were even more intrigued than before, while those who were tasked with Itachi's safety looked strangely apprehensive.

"It is said in ancient folklore that demons live forever…"

They all visibly tensed. The moment I said the word 'demon'.

'_What happened? They act as if they've encountered demons before._'

~_Then it's true isn't it?_~

* * *

The radio crackled, a cacophony of startled voices poured in through the headset. Alto had insinuated that he was a demon, many were still bitter over the Kyuubi attack three years ago.

_I don't care how human he looks! He just admitted that he's a demon, and we're just going to sit here and do nothing? We should take him into custody immediately! _

_I'm the senior officer here! We will inform the Hokage before any action is to be taken. Do I make myself clear?_

"Hai, Taicho."( Yes, Captain )

* * *

"Judging by your reactions I assume that the rumours are true, about the Bijuu and the Jinchurikki?" I inquired.

Immediately I was surrounded by a variety of masked individuals, each with a short tanto aimed at my throat.

Focusing my Mana, I created a magnetic focus point above my head. Their blades slipped from their grasp and clashed against each other in mid-air.

"_Soru._" ( Shave )

The world blurred, refocused, then blurred again as I struck each assailant. The strikes were not lethal, but would no doubt leave a bruise. Returning to my original position and securing the pram, each of them were on the ground holding the area where I had struck them.

* * *

I couldn't believe what I just saw. Alto had revealed that he knew about the Jinchurikki we had in our possession. Then the ANBU had appeared and surrounded him. Their blades seemed to be pulled out of their grasp, but that wasn't what interested _me_.

No, what interested me…was that _speed_.

'_That speed, it…it was almost like how Shisui moves._'

I fought alongside Shisui on many missions, sparred with him, watch him train. Shisui had mastered Shushin ( Body Flicker ) to a degree that was only rivalled by the Yodaime Hokage ( Fourth Fire Shadow ). It was the reason that earned him his nickname – Shushin no Shusui ( Shusui of the Body Flicker )

Shushin was a technique that enabled one to move at extremely high speed via placing a seal on almost any surface. The seal acts as a signal, which one can sense. The user must then circulate a large amount Chakra throughout their body, specifically their muscles. Doing so enables the user to move at high speeds, speeds at which the senses of sight and smell fail in determining where the user is moving. The seal is keyed to the user's Chakra constantly releasing a signal for the user to move towards, negating the need to rely upon any of the five senses.

Shisui was capable of using Shushin whilst already performing Shushin, a Shushin within a Shushin. Against a single opponent, it was like watching multiple copies of Shisui decimating his enemy to those whose eyes are untrained to high speed movement.

The technique that Alto demonstrated 'Soru' was something akin to what Shusui would look like in combat, but whilst one would see multiple images and glimpses when Shisui moves, this technique had no such thing. I kept hearing a distorted sound every time he seemed to move.

'_I didn't see after-images, you were in one spot and then immediately you were in another. I saw slight blurs of movement and yet, I still couldn't keep track of you. Shisui moves faster and I can easily keep up with him, even when he's trying to move as fast as he can. So how? How can I not keep up with you? You, who moves slower than he does…_'

"Everyone remain calm!" I shouted. Looking at the ANBU I commanded that they stand down.

Their swords were still miraculously floating in the air above Alto.

"Alto-san, if you would be so kind as to return their swords. I give you my _word_ that they will not attack."

Alto hesitated, but nonetheless relinquished his hold over the weapons. The ANBU sheathed their swords and stood in attention, waiting for my next order.

"ANBU!" I shouted. "Return to the Hokage and report. Dismissed."

'_This was supposed to be a calm and relaxing day. Simply introducing a new resident in our clan compound. I was supposed to return home and waste the rest of my day, indulging in countless boxes of Pocky… Damn it all…_'

* * *

My legs _burned_. I hadn't practised Rokushiki ( Six Styles ) for over a hundred years, let alone use it for actual combat.

'_I was foolish not to be completely prepared for combat. If I didn't have the element of surprise when it comes to movement techniques, then I would most certainly be dead._'

Itachi directed the ANBU to the Hokage and apologised profusely for what had occurred.

"There's no need to apologise Uchiha-sama. Neither I or the children were harmed."

The boys were shocked beyond belief.

"S-sensei! You moved so fast, even faster than you did when you fought the temple invaders," Keitaro exclaimed.

"I thought that you were in my chambers… You weren't supposed to see such things, not at your tender age."

"Sorry Sensei, but we both looked through the keyhole and saw you fighting them," Ken'ichi said apologetically.

"It's alright. The reason I was able to move so fast was because I was using a technique from Rokushiki. A style of combat designed for anyone to learn and become immensely strong. It was some of the techniques I was allowed to learn from the Forbidden Scroll."

"You got to read the scroll?" Ken'ichi asked.

Placing a hand on one end of the scroll I nodded in affirmative.

"The grandmasters allowed me to learn only theories of high speed movement. There were quite a few different techniques, Soru is only one of them," I explained.

We continued our way towards our new home in silence. Itachi's entourage were too preoccupied with all the events that occurred today. When we reached our destination Itachi gave us a small tour of the house.

The house, unlike the others that surrounded it was a typical Edo-style home with shogi doors and tatami mats. The houses nearby were mostly what were considered to be 'modern' in this age. There were a variety of appliances that Itachi explained to me and gave a short lesson on how to use them. Washing machine, dishwasher, television, radio, and so many more.

The forge appeared quite old. Everything that was needed were all neatly organised, it would not be difficult to start up work soon.

"Is everything to your liking?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you for all you've done. I hope to start work on the forge as soon as possible; I don't wish to be a burden on you or the village," I replied with a deep bow.

With a short bow Itachi and his clansmen left.

* * *

I had told the boys to explore the house and choose which room they wished to stay in. I carried the girls, to one of the rooms that was made into a nursery. The room had all the supplies I would need to raise them, which took a lot of stress off my shoulders. I had no idea a parent would require so many things to help raise children.

I placed both the girls in their crib before leaving the room.

'_I still find it amazing how the girls are hardly any trouble to take care of. Most of the stories parents tell sound terrifying and yet I haven't experienced any major troubles so far._'

~_That's because they're Qi is in tune with the environment. If a storm or any sort of natural disaster were to occur then the girls will surely be wailing and crying non-stop as most parents describe._~

'_Perhaps… The theory correlates to what little I have read from their mother's journal._'

The boys were waiting in the living room watching television. They were absolutely amazed by the images and scenes displayed on the screen.

"Have you both chosen your room?" I asked.

"Hai!"

"You can have today off to relax, but tomorrow I expect you both to train twice as hard to make up for today."

Leaving them to enjoy their new-found fascination with all the technology in the house, I found a decent sized room which was empty except for a few futons and blankets that were neatly placed in one corner.

I placed the Forbidden Scroll on the floor and unsealed it. Rolling it open revealed a multitude of seals one after another. Grandmaster Kazue had once informed me that the scroll is sentient in a strange way. If it deems one worthy then it shall allow them to view either all of its secrets or just a few in particular. The scroll didn't reject me in any way and the seals didn't attempt to block my access to its contents. It was therefore assumed that I could read and understand whatever was hidden within.

Placing my hand on the first seal, I focused my Qi to release its contents. The 1080 Juzu and the Shin-Ken( God-Sword ) materialised before me. The Juzu were the most sacred object to the temple, it was an artefact that allows one to commune and even summon the gods. To use it requires that you are in good favour with the god you intend on summoning I had once used it to summon Susanoo ( The god of seas and storms ). I never even got a chance to at least use a sliver of his great power before he nearly drained me of all my energy. I was very close to death that day, the disciples had informed me that I was barely alive with burns and lacerations to every inch of my body.

Adjusting the Juzu to an appropriate length I then placed it around my neck. Even without the ability to summon the beads were still powerful, capable of amplifying the wearer's abilities. The result of using the Juzu that one time made my bloodline to evolve to a higher level. If a clan such as the Uchiha, or the Hyūga whom are supposedly their rivals were to use the beads, then their power would increase two-fold.

'_That is under the assumption the beads will actually respond to them_.'

Strapping the Shin-Ken to my waist and drawing its blade, I could only marvel at its perfect balance and incredible sharpness. The blade was another artefact that the temple protected. A sentient blade that has guided me along 'The Way' for centuries. I was - at first – terrified, I never really believed in god. How could one believe in such at a time of conflict, where the Shinigami stalks those who seek to be 'Invincible Under The Sun'. When Kami ( god/spirit ) herself spoke to me through the sword, I believed that I would be struck down by lightning on the spot. Kami is most certainly a _goddess_, no mortal could create such objects of power. She did not punish me for my sins or reprimand me for my lack of faith; instead she gave me forgiveness and offered a way to achieve the redemption that I sought after since the Old World ended.

'_Now, more than ever… I need guidance. The future does not look so bright and the foes I shall face are far more formidable than I ever imagined._'

.:_Do not let your heart falter Kenshi ( swordsman ). You have made it far along 'The Way'. The path ahead is paved with obstacles and you will face many trials. Alone you will fall, but alone you are not. The blade shall guide you along the divine path, all that is needed is to have faith in oneself_:.

'_As always Kami-sama, your wisdom-filled words gives me the strength to rise and continue along this path._'

Closing the scroll for now, I left the room with sword in tow and proceeded to the relatively spacious backyard. Not enough space to train in but large enough to improve it into something more. No trees or shrubs just plain grass. Perfect for me to improve into a nice garden.

I moved to the centre of the yard and drew the sword from its sheathe before stabbing it into the ground. It looked just like any other katana one would find. It had no elaborate additions of any kind. Sitting before it, I took a meditative position and began to slowly drown the distractions of the world.

* * *

The next few days went by peacefully. The girls were enjoying their new room and the boys were progressing well with my teachings. Itachi and I were currently having tea while discussing various topics. We had made a strange sort of friendship, despite the growing animosity between his clan members and myself.

"One of your clan members, Shisui was most hostile towards myself and has repeatedly challenged me to a death match. I outright refused and told him that I had a responsibility to take care of my children. My death would leave them without a guardian," I informed Itachi.

He gave a heavy sigh and took a small sip of tea.

"Shisui knew and worked with everyone who was involved in the temple attack. I not surprised that this occurred, though hopefully in time things will calm down."

"Indeed I hope so. At the moment, I require a small favour."

Meeting my gaze he replied. "How can I be of assistance?"

"I require someone to watch over the children, just for today," I answered.

"I believe I can find someone capable of keeping them safe. If I may ask, why do you need a babysitter?" he inquired.

"I have found myself lacking the resolve needed to continue on the path I tread. I am not sure why, perhaps it is the weariness of the years I have lived. It would not be the first time I have had these uncertainties. Thus I must find my resolve."

I placed my cup of tea down on the tray before me.

"I must reawaken my forgotten tenacity for life..."

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"The reason one strives to move forward in life is because they know that their time is limited. They know that their life could end quickly and unexpectedly and thus driven to excel at whatever they apply themselves to. The awareness of their mortality is what drives them," I elaborated.

"I see... Another curse of your immortality I presume? It seems foolish to try and become such."

"Can you imagine flying in a thunderstorm?" I whispered. "It's not a farfetched idea... The streaks of lightning, while only existing for less than moment are inevitable _etched_ in your mind. The way it roars and paints the sky in lucid shades. When you're inside the clouds, your fate is in the hands of god. That knowledge of knowing that any moment could _truly_ be your last..."

"I have heard many shinobi attempt to achieve flight, but never truly passing the threshold. Even Suna ( Sand ) shinobi who specialise in wind based techniques never achieved it," Itachi stated.

"The weather outside is clear, not a single cloud," he continued "How will you attempt what you described?"

"If I perform such a feat and survive then it shall serve as a deterrent to those who may have ulterior motives for my children. A show of power from me will demonstrate the lengths I am willing to go to protect them."

* * *

I gave a nod of understanding. His reasons were sound and were necessary to keep people who would bring harm to him or his charges, people like Shisui.

Danzo, despite his appearance as a hawk would no doubt attempt to be on Alto's good side and perhaps even be his sponsor. Assuming that Alto accepts such a lucrative offer, he would possibly be able to create a clan of his own and gain a seat on the council. I wouldn't be against such a move; if possible it could bridge the hatred between my clan and his.

Being acknowledged as a clan would give the safety he desires, whilst also increasing the power of the village both economically and militarily.

'_Besides… I am eager to see what power he wields. It would certainly be a grand sight._'

* * *

Itachi had chosen a woman from his clan to watch over the children. If he trusts her then I could do the same.

"Truthfully I am eager to see what you're capable of. Shinobi are in a way warriors themselves and are eager to gage their strength against others." Itachi said.

I laughed and continued to walk towards the edge of the wooden platform of the pond they had in their compound for the purpose of training their young in the ways of fire. His challenge had stirred my competitive spirit in a way that Takezō used to. Apparently his clansmen had found out that I was going to give a demonstration, and gathered around the pond. The shinobi in the group appeared the most eager.

Stepping onto the water with light guided steps that left soft ripples in my wake, I began perform a sword dance as I summoned the Shin-ken in a shower of golden sparks. The ripples became waves as I gathered the surrounding Qi around me. The water appeared almost crystalline as they bonded with the energy, drops began to rise and suspend themselves in the air.

My blade swung with graceful precision that forced even more water to rise. As the dance progressed I began to chant.

_However innumerable all being are, I vow to save them all._

_However inexhaustible my delusions are, I vow to extinguish them all._

_However immeasurable the teachings of the sword are, I vow to master them all._

_However endless 'The Way of the Sword' is, I vow to follow it completely._

The water surged outwards, rising and falling with my steady breath. Then slowly the water began to swirl with me as the epicentre. The second chant began as the swirls raged.

_To study 'The Way' is to study the self._

_To study the self is to forget the self._

_To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things of the universe._

_To be enlightened by all things is to transcend the distinction of the self and other and to go on in ceaseless enlightenment forever._

The dance came to an end as I sheathed the sword and sealed it within myself. The water exploded upwards as I ascended into the sky.

* * *

When Alto stepped onto the water I could feel something happen around the pond. The air suddenly felt different, it was hard to describe the feeling. The air felt heaver? Like it was humid, and the air itself was vibrating. The waters seemed to look so much clearer, more pure than it ever had. Droplets floated around Alto and sparkled in the sun's rays. The chants that he had said sounded like something a monk would say.

'_Were they part of the technique? Or simply to help focus?_'

The water exploded upwards and slowly floated down. Alto had flown quite fast into the air, only becoming a flying speck from those of us on the ground. He circled around the perimeter of Konoha multiple times and before I could marvel at the fact that he was flying, a single drop of rain fell on my face.

"What the hell?" exclaimed one of the bystanders.

White clouds began to form and expand, covering Konoha and the outlying area. Alto was still circling around but much faster than before, causing the clouds to swirl and condense.

I lost sight of him when the clouds darkened and the rain began fall. The drops of water got bigger and heavier. The bystanders began to panic and ran for shelter.

"Itachi-sama, you must seek shelter from the storm," cried my assigned bodyguard.

"No," I replied. "The rain may fall with great strength but the storm has yet to come. The winds have begun to howl and the roars of thunder have yet to be heard. This is merely the prelude to the song of Raijin and Fūjin as they wage war across the heavens."

* * *

The sensation of flight was always exhilarating, no matter how many times one flies. The rush of the wind whipping past, the unsurpassed view of the world below. Nothing really compares to the ability to fly.

'_If you would be so __kind__… I would very much appreciate some assistance in this demonstration._'

~_Ah! Finally admitting that you need me __hmm__? I would be most happy to oblige. Doing this will get rid of the weaklings and lead me to stronger opponents._~

'_The entire purpose of this is to ward off potential threats. Not to issue them a challenge._'

~_Ah! But it depends on how they view this, does it not? Nevertheless, our thoughts have strayed from our objective. Shall we begin?_~

'_Hai._'

Mana is a _very_ ancient energy. I know this from how saturated the world is with it. It's all around us in such abundance, enough to perform feats of such grand design that the gods themselves would be impressed. It exists in everything. Our bodies, the air we breathe, to the ground beneath our feet.

'_I must have been accustomed to using this energy in my past life perhaps? Whenever I have used it I have this feeling of nostalgia. Like an old lost friend that finally returns home._'

If there is one property of Mana that sets it apart from other types of energy, it is that Mana can be used to do _anything_. The only limit is one's imagination. Qi has limits, Reishi has limits, but Mana has _none_.

Creating a storm on a large scale as this would require quite a bit of Mana and precise concentration. The storm should be created as one that self sustains itself when I finally release my control over it.

First I formed clouds of white until it spread to cover the whole of Konoha and the outlying regions. Then the winds began to pick up as the clouds began to darken. I stopped circling the village and floated in the centre of the soon-to-be storm. Spreading my arms out, I focused on the Mana around me. My focus started out with the Mana around me, and then slowly expanded. Reaching further and further to the edge of the village and beyond.

I poured my will into the Mana, commanding it to saturate the clouds with its essence. It was then that _real_ storm had begun. It was at that moment when I relinquished my control, leaving my fate to the gods.

The clouds poured rain in such amounts that one would think the world would flood. The rage of lightning had begun with the songs of thunder echoing till the edges of the horizon. I swam through the clouds, twisting and weaving. The rain pelted me like arrows, each leaving a slight sting in its wake. Whenever lightning appeared my heart would skip a beat in fright, only to beat harder than before. The cracks of thunder threatened to shatter my ears; each time it sounded I would feel so disoriented.

'_Being alive…never felt more real than this moment._'

* * *

The storm had raged for four days, today was the fifth. The council had convened, mostly due to the civilians members. They were feeling quite terrified about having a stranger in our midst, one capable of creating events such this storm or worse. The ninja members, while appearing calm and collected were just as frightened by this show of power.

"This council meeting has been called by various members. I am to believe that the reason for this meeting is due to Miyamoto-san's creation of this storm. Correct?"

The Hokage was as always informed of everything.

A civilian member stood up and began to speak.

"Hokage-sama, Miyamoto-san is threatening us with this storm he created. He mustn't be allowed to roam freely. Such a threat _must_ be neutralised."

Many of the civilian members nodded in agreement. '_It makes me wonder how they can so easily think they have a say in matters of military nature._'

Hyūga Hiashi, the clan head of the esteemed Hyūga clan then rose from his seat and also spoke.

"Hokage-sama, I have only two concerns regarding Miyamoto-san."

The Hokage motioned with his arm for him to continue.

"Thank you. My first concern is that it is come to my attention that Miyamoto-san has knowledge of the Hyūga Taijutsu style. The Jyuuken ( The Gentle Fist ). A few of my clan members have seen him instruct his two children in a style that appears very similar, if not the same."

The council members whispered amongst themselves. They would most certainly see this as proof that Alto-san is a spy.

"My second concern," Hiashi continued. "Is the display of power that Miyamoto-san has been demonstrating for these past few days."

The Hokage sat in his chair, arms folded. His eyes were closed and wore a pensive look.

"This demonstration of power is clearly a tactic to ward off those who would have _ulterior_ motives for his charges."

'_Councilman Danzō?_'

"Let's face the truth. The moment he informed us that one of the boys is a descendant of the great Rikudo Sennin, we _all_ had ulterior motives. You cannot deny that many would leap at the chance to seduce the boy into their clan when he approaches the appropriate age."

Danzō calmly sat in his chair as the entire council burst into shouts of outrage and accusations.

"What's wrong with desiring the boy's bloodline? Each of the major ninja clans has a bloodline, but what about clans that lack one. Is it really so wrong for us to try and increase our standing from both civilian and military aspects?" declared one of the lesser ninja clans.

"Tokugawa-san," the Hokage spoke. "We are not criticising nor questioning yours or anyone else's desire to introduce the boy into their clan. It is perfectly normal and natural to make your clan gain a higher standing, within good measure."

'_Father had clearly desired more than what was necessary... and he paid for it with his life._'

Tokugawa-san sat down, but returned the focus of our meeting back to Alto-san.

"We have digressed from our original talk. We must decide on what course of action we will take regarding Miyamoto-san."

Once again, Danzō took this chance to speak.

"It is obvious that Miyamoto-san has great power and knowledge. Despite our past transgressions against him by the former Uchiha Clan Head, he has not been openly hostile and has been very cooperative with us."

"Openly hostile?" a civilian council member questioned. "Did he not attack a squad of our ANBU during his stay?"

I stood up immediately and spoke in Alto's defence. "The ANBU are to blame for jumping to conclusions and attacking him without provocation. Alto-san had merely defended himself with a unique style of combat."

A Clan Head of one of the lesser ninja clans, the Ashikaga began to speak.

"You seem to be on quite _friendly terms_ with Miyamoto-san. How are we to establish any sort of relationship with him if you keep him locked up in your clan compound?"

His underlying accusation irked me, but nonetheless refused to take the bait. My composure didn't waver in the slightest.

"When Alto-san had requested a place to live and raise his family, I was obligated to fulfil such a request. He desired a home which had access to a forge, a home which I believe none of you had available and vacant. If you wish to see him then you are free to enter the compound to do so," I countered.

"A forge? Why did he require a forge?" asked the Hokage.

"Uchiha-sama," Danzō interrupted. "Since you have spent enough time with Miyamoto-san to refer to him on such a familiar terms, perhaps it would be best to inform us about him?"

'_I know the game you're playing Danzō, but what angle will you come from?_'

"Of course, all I ask is that I am not interrupted." I replied.

Taking a deep breath I began to reveal all I knew about Alto. I could only hope Danzō would play this game without the façade of being the Konoha Hawk.

"Alto-san is an immortal whose age is older than the continent and world we live in. He spoke of a place known as the 'Old World'. The Old World was a place that was _very_ different to ours in terms of military might. Chakra was never discovered as a source of power to amplify one's combat abilities."

The council was filled with surprised faces and hushed murmurings.

"Alto-san had been raised in a village known as Miyamoto. There was a war at the time in the Old World, where a variety of clans all fought to rule the nation. The name of the nation that Alto-san lived in is Japan. Alto-san told me the names of the clans that had fought in the war. I believe that all of you will most certainly find this information enlightening."

I withdrew from my vest a small scroll.

"I had asked Alto-san to write down all the clan names. I shall now read them."

_Chosokabe – Shimazu – Date – Mori – Oda – Takeda – Tokugawa – Uesugi – Hattori – Ikko Ikki – Amako – Anegakoji – Asai – Ashikaga – Ashina – Bessho – Hatakeyama – Honma – Hosokawa - Imagawa – Ito – Jinbo – Kikkawa – Kiso – Kitabatake – Kono – Kuroda – Matsuda – Miyoshi – Mogami – Murakami – Otomo – Ouchi – Sagara – Saito – Sakai – He – Satomi – Shone – Sogo – Takaoka – Toyotomi – Tsutsui – Ukita – Urakami – Utsonomiya – Wako – Yamana_

By now everyone in the council meeting was shocked; their jaws were scraping the floor.

"At some point in time the Old World violently ended, but Alto-san survived. He then spent a long period of time simply wandering from place to place after the Old World disappeared and the New World was born."

So far they were taking in all this information with shock, but were now certainly turned away from the idea that Alto should be exiled or executed.

"Then approximately two hundred and fifty years before the advent of the Rikudo Senin, Alto-san had become a temple guardian. What occurred after that is unknown until the attack by the former Uchiha Clan Head. After that incident the rest is already common knowledge."

After I had sat down the council had burst into whispers and wide speculations were being tossed about.

The Hokage stood up and the council chambers were immediately quiet.

"Uchiha-sama, those names you called out are clan names of those in this council and some are clan names from other Hidden Villages. Miyamoto-san hails from Earth Country. If he was a spy then I can understand how he would know the _ninja_ clan names, but to know the clan names of civilians both here and from those in other countries is almost impossible. Not even my wayward student Jiraiya, whose spy network is vast, has never been able to locate all those clan names with ease. It took him nearly a decade to gather a few clan names of all the Hidden Villages. Miyamoto-san looks at best a young man of seventeen years. For him to know all those names is too farfetched an idea."

"Unless Miyamoto-san is truly an immortal," Danzō replied.

One of the Hokage's personal councillors, Homura stood up.

"Sarutobi, if what Uchiha-sama said is true then we must act swiftly. Miyamoto-san is a valuable asset even if he doesn't join our military force," he advised.

"If I may Hokage-sama, I request that Miyamoto-san be allowed to create his own clan and given a seat on both the military and civilian councils," Danzō suggested.

'_So it appears that Danzō will be Alto's ally. No doubt he will be his sponsor, but to suggest he be placed on both side of the council? What sort of game are you playing?_'

Both sides of the council were in chaos. Everyone was shouting at each other, some in support of Alto and other against.

"Silence…"

The Hokage looked at Danzō, seeking to unravel his thought process.

"One man cannot be a clan, _but_… I am willing to allow such a motion to pass. That is under the condition that we decide by majority vote and that he has a sponsor."

"I myself will be his sponsor," Danzō replied.

'_The votes will most likely go in Alto's favour. Now we just have to see if he accepts the offer._'

"All in favour of granting Miyamoto-san Clan power and privilege please raise your hands."

As I predicted the vote went in Alto's favour. Danzō had signalled me in ANBU sign language, the message was clear.

_No ulterior motives. Konoha Rising will return._

Konoha Rising. A term referring to periods in history where many individuals rose and become legends in the shinobi world. Most of these legends all rose to become who they were and are during the darkest of times. The Shinobi World Wars. I myself am counted amongst such legends. Legends such as The White Fang, The Yellow Flash, The Black Thunder, the list goes on. To be acknowledged by Danzō is a great achievement on its own, but to be considered amongst the Konoha Rising is a title that will place you in the history books for centuries to come.

"Well then, it appears that-"

The council chamber doors burst open and a drench figure walked in. ANBU immediately burst into action and surrounded him.

"Are you still eager to gage yourself against me Itachi-san?"

I immediately ran towards him, pushing the ANBU away.

"Alto-san! You're alright, I had assumed the worst after the third day. What happened to you?" I asked.

He looked as if he was about to collapse so I placed his arm around me and led him to my seat. The council was silent as Alto regained his strength with deep breaths.

"Alto-san, you said that you would be gone for a day, four days have passed and today is the fifth."

"I believe I informed about the artefacts in my possession?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied with a nod.

"After the storm was created… I summoned Raijin and Fūjin."

I was shocked – no – beyond shocked. I was in a rare state of speechlessness.

"But…but you said the last time you summoned a god, you were nearly killed by the very same god you summoned."

He hissed in pain as he lay back, his body was covered in burns.

'_Those look like second and possibly third degree burns. Just what the hell happened up there?_'

"It appears I've caused quite a stir haven't I?" he spoke before laughing.

"That's a very big understatement," I replied, laughing along with him.

* * *

Well sorry again for the late update. I hope you enjoyed reading my work as much as I enjoyed writing it.

As always I appreciate any feedback so I would love to have some reviews. It would be nice to hear what everyone thinks about my work so far…


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